


Sing My Dreams Away

by AristoMuse



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Artist Eren Yeager, Dreams and Nightmares, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Fluff, Grisha is disappointed, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mangaka AU, Mentions of Therapy, No Name, No Name Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Oblivious Eren Yeager, Office Shenanigans, Pining Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Titan-Haired Eren Yeager, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, band au, may add more relationships later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-14
Updated: 2019-06-15
Packaged: 2019-08-01 17:21:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 35,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16288682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AristoMuse/pseuds/AristoMuse
Summary: Eren's therapist tells him to try drawing to vent his frustrations of being constantly plagued by nightmares, and it leads to him rescinding his university applications to become a mangaka instead.Four years later, his very popular manga "Shingeki no Kyojin" is being turned into an anime, and the most exciting thing about it was that his agent told him the studio was able to get a hold of his favorite band to sing some of the songs for the OST.Eren hoped he would be able to meet them! Now if only his blunt and crabby neighbor could let him draw in peace to meet his deadlines...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Story takes place in modern Tokyo (despite all their super European names). Eren basically assumes the role of Isayama lol and this is a No Name AU as said in the tags!
> 
> "No Name" - regular dialogue  
> " _No Name_ " - phone call dialogue  
> " _No Name_ " - intercom dialogue

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

 

_Teeth._

_Blood._

_Screams, so many screams. They filled his ears as a cacophony of noise, blocking out any other sound he could hear._

_Flashes of steel, flesh ripping underneath his swords._

_White and blue wings on green, heading for dawn._

_Flashes of lightning, thundering footsteps..._

_A large hand. It snatched a free bird in the air._

_An unhinged mouth. So many white teeth stained with blood._

_One pair of wings stood in front of him, silver glinting at his sides. He kept fighting and fighting and fighting._

_Until he couldn't anymore._

_A scream, so much more piercing and heart wrenching than any other he heard._

_It was his own._

_"CAPTAIN!"_

Eren gasped awake, his chest heaving up and down underneath his blanket. Sunlight streamed in from his window, signalling that it was well into morning. The light illuminated the mess of clothes in the corner as well as the many empty energy drinks strewn about on his desk and floor, as well as empty coffee cups.

Letting out a loud groan, he reluctantly threw back the covers and stumbled into his bathroom. As he brushed his teeth mechanically, he couldn't help but think about his dreams. The very dreams that had plagued him all his life. 

His parents told him that as soon as he turned four, he began having night terrors where he would cry and thrash around in his bed, and no matter what they did, he wouldn't wake until the sun came up. As soon as his head hit the pillow, he would be trapped in the very hell his mind created for him until dawn broke. 

They took him to every psychiatrist and psychologist around the country, but none of them could explain just where his mind got its inspiration from. None of the drugs worked either, they only messed with his body to the point where he could barely speak coherently. His dad banned any sort of war documentary or anything involving violence, but it did nothing to stop the bloody dreams.

Now, the only thing he could do was just take in as much caffeine as possible to abstain from sleeping at night. He took naps during the day to try to make up for it but it meant that the dark circles underneath his eyes were pretty bad. His mom had taught him how to use makeup so he could cover them with concealer. Even when Jean made fun of him for wearing "girly makeup," Eren didn't care. It stopped people from seeing just how bad his sleep had become over the years. 

In the end, he only had a therapist to talk to now. They were really nice and energetic, but their office hours were erratic so most of their sessions took place over online chat. 

Eren eyed his bedroom door, and when no knock came, he sighed and finished brushing his teeth. It was Sunday, so he didn't expect a wake-up call on a non school day, but still.

Was it his fault that his parents were barely home now? He knew that he had caused them a lot of grief over the years, and many sleepless nights. When his "condition" never abated, his dad did everything he could to stay out of the house, taking extra shifts at Tokyo General Hospital. His mom also spent a lot of time outside, saying she was going on walks and meeting her friends. 

They didn't want to hear his screams.

Rinsing his face under the cool tap water, Eren turned off the faucet and wiped his face with a towel. Sometimes, the guilt was too heavy. The guilt of having been an abnormal child for his parents. For giving them so much stress when all they wanted was a normal kid. Living in the same house meant having to face their disappointment at least once a day, but that wasn't the worst of it.

Because even though they were disappointed and crushed by the fact that he would never be normal, they still loved him. His father made sure his bed was comfy so whatever sleep he could get would be peaceful. He paid for his education, all his uniforms, even giving him an allowance to save up. Bought all the game systems he wanted, and even an expensive gaming computer. All so Eren could have something to do while he avoided sleep.

And his mom...She would find new recipes to try out, to help keep him healthy and fit. Whenever his nightmares got especially bad to the point where he couldn't even leave his bed after waking, she would cook his favorite meals and even spoon feed him. She even got him high quality coffee beans to grind himself.

And he was so guilty, so so frustrated at his own condition that he was cursed with. He wanted to be a good son for them.

Changing into a fresh pair of clothes consisting of a loose cotton shirt and a pair of white jeans, Eren took a seat in front of his desk and turned on his computer. He immediately logged onto his online chat and typed in a message to his therapist.

Eren:  **Hey, can we talk?**

Dr. Zoe: **Sure!**

A second later, a window popped up saying they were calling, and he accepted. It turned into a webcam window, showing his therapist. They were a bright and cheerful person, with unruly brown hair like his own but pulled into a ponytail. Their large glasses showed off their hazel eyes, and the smile on their face was always welcoming. They were pretty young to be a licensed therapist, but Eren liked them way more than every other "specialist" he had seen.

" _Hi Eren!_ " Hange greeted him. " _Rough night again?_ "

Eren let out a sigh, a hand running through his messy hair. "That obvious, huh?"

" _You wouldn't be calling if it wasn't_." They sipped on a cup of coffee. Eren wished he had a cup of coffee as well. " _So what was it this time? More of those man eating giants? Blood? Guts on the battlefield?_ "

"All of that and more." He answered glumly, slouching over in his chair. "I kept seeing people die around me, even though they were fighting so hard...Worst of all, I think...I think I saw someone close to me die right in front of me."

Hange leaned in closer to the webcam. " _Someone important?_ " They pressed.

He nodded hesitantly, his brow furrowing as he tried to remember his dream. "I don't really remember what he looked like, but...it seemed like he was protecting me." He never remembered what any of them looked like. Even though he remembered everything else very clearly, everyone's faces were blurred out like an out of focus lens. It was as if his dreams were trying to stop him from knowing who they were, but they didn't stop him from learning of their horrific circumstances.

" _Why did you think that?_ "

Humming, Eren closed his eyes. "...He was standing in front of me, and I saw those wings again...I was on the ground and couldn't get up, but he kept fighting...No matter what, he still kept on fighting, even when his blades broke and he couldn't fly anymore..." Who was he? Why did he protect him with such vigor, as if his safety mattered above everyone else's?

" _-ren? Eren!_ "

Snapping his eyes open, Eren gasped and almost fell off his chair. "S-Sorry!"

" _Don't apologize._ " Hange assured him with a worried frown. " _But...you're crying. Are you okay? Was it too traumatic?_ "

Crying?

Bringing up a hand near his eyes, his fingertips met warm water and he realized belatedly he really was crying. "Oh...I don't know why I'm crying..." He murmured, bringing up his other hand as well to wipe his face. "Sorry."

His therapist said nothing for a few moments, only regarding him with a rare solemn gaze. ". _..These nightmares of yours seem too real_." They murmured. " _You remember them rather vividly as well...Maybe you should try drawing them out?_ "

"Huh?" Eren furrowed his rather thick brows. "Draw them? I've never tried drawing more than stick figures before..."

" _And when was that, back when you were in grade school?_ " Hange teased him. " _I think it would help you and me if you tried to draw your dreams out. Not only would it help you put them in another perspective, but I can finally analyze the root of your problems! If you draw them out, they won't look as scary due to the format!_ "

Eren pondered to himself. It was true that it had been hard to really explain what his dreams consisted of to everyone around him. His parents heard about them so much but at this point, had just accepted the general summary of them without thinking about the details. None of his psychiatrists had asked him for drawings, they just tried to push a change of diet or some sort of prescription to help. As if anything he did had been able to stop them.

But...

"All right." He decided a few minutes later. "I'll...I'll try."

" _Atta boy, Eren!_ " Hange grinned widely, eyes sparkling at the prospect of analyzing his future creations. " _I'll let you go now since it's your rare day off! Try to get some rest for school tomorrow!_ "

"Right..." Eren groaned. High school. He was in his final year but that meant university applications were more important than ever, and truthfully, he really didn't want to do more education. His grades were good, he got top 5, but it was only because he desperately wanted to be a good son. His horrid sleep schedule meant that his concentration was absolute shit and it made sitting in classes for hours akin to torture. 

He got yelled at for falling asleep in class too many times to count.

"Thanks for taking my call, Dr. Zoe." He smiled tiredly. "I know I'm a bother..."

" _Nonsense!_ " Hange waved him away with a hand. " _I'm always happy to listen to you, and it doesn't hurt that your dreams are absolutely fascinating! Of course, I do want to help you get rid of them, but their contents are certainly intriguing!_ " 

Eren laughed weakly. "That's one way to put it..." He mumbled.

" _And just call me Hange!_ " They grinned. " _I'm not that much older than you anyway, and we're totally BFFs! Bye bye!_ " They ended the call.

Pushing himself off his chair, he walked out of his room and down the stairs to the kitchen. As he suspected, his parents weren't home. The house was clean and immaculate as always, even though it felt a little...un-lived in somehow. Even the kitchen was sparkling clean, though his bean grinder showed wear and tear.

Pouring a gratuitous amount of his special import, he quietly ground them into a powder, boiled some water, and put it all into the french press. He browsed around on his phone while he waited for the powder to steep, and once it hit exactly three minutes, he pressed down on the plunger until it hit the bottom, and then poured his beautiful finished coffee into his mug. The rich smell of Columbian filled his nose and he inhaled deeply, letting out a small but pleased hum.

Coffee was his vice, but hey, at least it helped him stay awake.

Taking a sip and ignoring how it stung his lips and tongue, Eren made his way back up to his room and sat down at his desk again. Taking a spare piece of paper from his printer, he moved his keyboard so he had enough space, and took out a pencil.

He stared down at the pure whiteness in front of him, a blank canvas ready for whatever he would draw. Could he really do this? He hadn't drawn anything in ages, and the last time he had drawn were just some stick figure doodles from watching too much anime. 

_"Captain..."_

But the man in his dreams...He felt so important. Even just thinking about him sent a pang to his chest. 

Taking a deep breath, Eren picked up his pencil and after a minute, pressed it onto the paper and just...did something. "Hmm..." He stuck his tongue out from the corner of his mouth, brow furrowed in concentration. One line here, one line there...

No, that part needed to be rounder. 

Hair should look ruffled by the wind of battle...

How proportionate was the captain? He looked short in his dreams, especially compared to those man eating giants.

Before he knew it, the sun was setting and his coffee had long since gone cold. Looking up from his doodle, Eren picked up his mug and grimaced at the cold sludge. "What a waste..." He mumbled, putting it back down with a sigh. 

Turning his gaze back to his drawing, he blinked.

And blinked.

Eren rubbed his eyes and looked back down at it. "Did I...really draw this?" He breathed out in awe. The drawing in front of him was so close to what the captain looked like, or at least from what he could remember. His dark hair was cropped with an undercut, showing off his thick neck. The uniform jacket conformed to his body, but was covered with a thick cloak. Two long rectangular shapes next to him denoted themselves as his swords, and the white and blue wings were stark against his back.

He looked like a fierce valkyrie, even though Eren didn't know his face well enough to draw it. 

Gnawing on his bottom lip, Eren took another sheet from his printer and began drawing again. This time, he could try drawing one of the monsters...

A knock on his door shocked him from his focus and Eren jumped in his seat. "Eren?" His mom's voice called out from behind his door. "Are you...sleeping? I made dinner!" 

"I-I'll be right there, mom!" He called out, compiling the mess of papers on his desk into a single pile. He looked over his progress and honestly couldn't believe it himself. He had drawn several pictures of the monsters in his dreams, as well as what the people around him looked like. They were a little rough, the lines kind of ugly and thick, but...they looked like something. They really looked like a rough draft to a shounen manga or something. 

Eren stared down at his own hands. Had he always been so good at art and just never put in the time or effort? 

"Eren?" His mom's voice reverberated from the first floor.

"Coming!" He yelled back, yanking his door open. Running down the stairs, he caught sight of a window and was shocked to realize it was now night time. Had he been drawing the entire day?

"Eren, I made your favorite cheeburg!"

He pumped his fist. Yes!

 

* * *

 

 

He didn't sleep at all after dinner, spending the entire night drawing sketch after sketch. It was addictive, to see the very beings that haunted his dreams on paper, drawn by his own hands. He kept his music on low so he wouldn't disturb his parents or their neighbors, and drew his curtains to block out the light of his lamp.

He had a new hobby to pass the time.

He didn't usually allow himself to sleep on nights before school to try to stave off the nightmares, and the naps he took in the afternoon were thankfully dreamless. It seemed like the nighttime did something to his brain, like a weird signal going "hey, it's dark out, let's torture Eren!" 

It did mean he was more productive since it was so quiet and peaceful. Normally he'd be playing games or forcing himself to study, but now...

He took another long sip of his coffee, hot this time. 

His right hand was cramping, his desk was covered in eraser shavings, and the side of his hand was stained with pencil lead. 

And he loved it.

 

* * *

 

 

"Eren..." Armin breathed out in shock. "Did you not sleep at all..?"

"Wow, good morning to you too." Eren deadpanned, a yawn leaving his mouth right after. "And nope. You know me."

They'd meet on the way to school and would finish the journey together. If Eren was running late, Armin wouldn't bother waiting for him, but he would give him a meat bun from the convenience store. They'd practically grown up together, playing in the local park, going to the same cram school (well, until Eren just didn't have the energy to keep going without sleep), and went to the same school from grade school to high school. 

Armin, his shorter petite friend who's face was like a cherub's and his mind as sharp as a razor, was being awarded several scholarships throughout the country, and even some from Tokyo University, making Eren wonder bitterly just how long it would be until they would stop being friends due to distance and work.

"Did you make sure to study for the math exam?" Armin asked while they took off their shoes at the lockers.

Eren winced. "Shit, that's today? Ugh..." He groaned, toeing into his slippers.

Armin gave him an exasperated look. "I'll take that as a no. Don't worry, I'm sure you won't fail."

"Eh..." Eren shrugged, heading to their classroom. "It doesn't really matter. You know that school has never been that important to me."

They finally arrived at their classroom, just a few minutes before the bell would ring. Taking their seats at their respective desks, they dug around their backpacks for their notebooks and pencils.

"Yeah, but don't you care about your future?" Armin frowned. "Doing well in school now means you'll get into a good university, which would lead to a well paying job."

Eren heaved a loud sigh. "I know, but...You know I can't do a regular work schedule with my messed up sleep cycle. Sure, I could find a job that offered night or midnight hours, but those are all taken by like, otakus and other weirdos."

"Oh, is Jaeger trying to say he's not one of those otaku weirdos?"

Eren immediately scowled and turned around. "Shut up, Jean." He barked at his other classmate, another boy who had the audacity to dye his hair two colors while they were still students. He was a little taller than him (which irked Eren to no end), and he always had an insufferable look on his long face. It was always either a smirk or a sneer, both of which made Eren want to punch them off.

"Hey, don't attack me," Jean shrugged with a smug smirk. "I'm just speaking facts. You've been a weirdo ever since we met, Jaeger. Maybe you just can't see that you're just like the weirdos you're criticizing." He chuckled before going to sit at his desk on the other side of the room.

Eren fumed in his seat. "That damn horseface..." He muttered, Armin sweatdropping in his seat.

"So what are you going to do then?" Armin asked after a few moments. "You're going to have to find a way to make money somehow, and I doubt your parents want you to work at a conbini for the rest of your life."

Eren frowned. That was true. His dad would never accept that, and his mom, while she would be supportive, wouldn't think of it as a good and stable job. He could be a doctor, but...He didn't want to accidentally fall asleep on a patient, and he saw enough blood and guts in his dreams. 

Oh!

He glanced down at his notebook and the few sketches he brought with him. Japan's entertainment consisted of a lot of anime, manga, and video games. There were manga available at every convenience store, bookstore, heck, even the school library had a sizable section for manga. He hadn't heard about what a mangaka's wages were, but he knew One Piece's author was a super rich guy. 

His drawings were pretty good considering he just started last night...

"I have an idea." He announced, gaining Armin's attention just as the bell rang and their first class began. 

It may be a dumb one, but Eren had never said he was smart.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UM WOW so many kudos, subscribers, bookmarks, and over 250 hits _for one chapter_ of a new fic, holy crap!!
> 
> Thank you very very much for being so supportive and eager for this fic! I honestly started this because my first AOT fic "Morally Unethical" will take forever to get to any romance, and I really wanted to write some good ole Levi x Eren in a modern setting with (hopefully) unique twists. I did not expect so much support for it though, but I am very thankful and happy! 
> 
> I did intend to update this sooner but I'm having a tough week (month tbh, i hate inktober) and had to delay this until now.

Dropping the last cardboard box on the wooden floorboards, Eren let out a huge sigh of relief and arched his back, feeling a satisfying but-also-kind-of-worrying crack when he did so. "I'm finally done..." He breathed out, wiping the sweat from his drenched forehead. 

Making sure to close the door behind him, he turned around with a proud smile and surveyed his new home.

It had been four years since his last year of high school. In that time, he had cancelled all his university applications, lost contact with most of his friends, and the worst was when he had almost ruined his relationship with his parents. It honestly felt like some of the worst decisions he had ever made in his life, and _he had made plenty_.

He could even remember everyone's reactions as stark clear as the blood in his nightmares...

 _"What?!" Armin shrieked when Eren broke the news to him one day after school at their local Mos Burger. "You're not applying to_ any _university?! Not even Daito?!"_

_Eren gave him an odd look. "What's wrong with Daito?" He asked curiously._

_Armin was about to open his mouth to explain, but shook his head at the last minute. "Never mind about Daito, focus on the subject at hand! You're really not applying to any university?" He asked, a look of disbelief overcoming his face. "What are you going to do then?"_

_Frowning, Eren moved back in his seat and held his burger close to him. "Well jeez, Armin, if I knew how much this apparently mattered to_ you, _maybe I shouldn't have told you..." He muttered, offended and even a little hurt at his friend's reaction. Sure, he could go to university, but it wasn't required to get a job. Plenty of people in Japan only had a high school degree and lived just fine. It almost felt like Armin was judging him really harshly._

_If this was how his best friend was going to be, he didn't want to think about how his parents were going to react to the news._

_Noticing his defensive tone, Armin hunched in his seat. "I'm sorry Eren, I'm not judging you." He reassured softly but still wore a concerned frown. "I'm just worried you're being too rash like usual...Did you not get any sleep this week? Are you making this decision with a sound mind?"_

_"I am!" Eren replied back strongly, throwing his burger down on the tray. "You know that a regular office job would never work out well for me, not with my fucked up sleep. I could go for medical school like my dad wants, but I don't wanna be a doctor. What if I fall asleep on a patient? I see enough blood and death in my dreams! I'd work at a conbini during midnight hours but my parents would never be satisfied with that."_

_Eren slammed his hand on the table, rattling their trays and attracting the attention of the other diners. "Even_ you _said my drawings were good, and if I work hard at it and get noticed, I can make this a career!" He explained, face and even his body expressions lit up by excitement. "I know it's risky, but this is what I really wanna do!"_

_"Eren..." Armin breathed in awe, taking in his sparkling emerald eyes and the wide grin that made his dark circles disappear. He pursed his lips but eventually nodded. "...All right. I fully support your decision, BUT," He emphasized when he saw his friend light up. "We're going to plan this out. I'm not going to let you go about this without doing thorough research into every aspect!"_

_"Armin..." Eren couldn't help but tear up and launched himself over the table to hug his friend. "You're the best!" He beamed, rubbing his cheek against Armin's._

_"Eren, our food!"_

"I still owe him a new shirt..." Eren mumbled to himself as he got to unpacking. The furniture had been the very first things to be moved in, all of it being discount stuff from MUJI. He didn't need anything fancy except a good bed and a decent bean grinder and french press. 

The floors weren't clean enough to go barefoot yet, so Eren walked right in with his shoes and began opening the very first boxes. He packed his clothes away in his bedroom closet, his spare bed sheets, towels, and toiletries. His new place only had one bathroom, and it was pretty small compared to his old home, but he liked it.

He had been pretty sad to move out of his parents' house, but he really couldn't take his dad's disappointment any longer, not now.

Even thinking about it felt like he was being stabbed in his chest with guilt...

_"...What?" Grisha uttered with a pinched expression, one hand coming up to massage his ear. "I'm sorry, I must've heard wrong. It's been a long day at the hospital."_

_"You didn't." Eren denied, sitting tensely in their living room. His shoulders were stiff, his legs almost cramping from withholding the urge to fidget, and even a bead of sweat dripped down from his hairline. "I'm not going to university."_

_"Eren, baby..." Carla began almost timidly, giving her husband a worried glance. "Can you explain why? I-_ We _thought you were going for medical school, or at least for a general degree..."_

_Eren bit his lip, fighting the urge to give in to his mom's wishes, but no. This was his future they were talking about. "I...I don't think that's an ideal future for me." He worded as carefully as possible. "I know you guys were hoping for me to be a doctor like dad, but I'm not good with medical stuff. I..." He took a deep breath and steeled himself. "I'm not normal."_

_"You_ are _a normal boy, Eren-" Carla began soothingly but Eren cut her off._

_"You know I'm not!" He argued, hands balling into fists in his lap. "I can't fall asleep at night or else I'll be trapped in my nightmares that are filled with blood and dead bodies! It's been over ten years, mom, you have to accept that I'm not gonna just magically be okay one day! I can't sleep like a normal person! I can't work like a normal person!"_

_"So you're just going to throw away any opportunity you have to chase this- this fanciful dream?" Grisha asked in a clipped tone, his round glasses reflecting the light and concealing his true emotions from his son. "This is not a stable career path, Eren. You may think you have talent but in the entertainment world, you'll find yourself constantly bested by others."_

_Eren scowled, hurt that his dad would actually think he was making a huge mistake. "I know that, but people in the industry don't keep a stable work cycle, and so long as I work hard, I know I can do something with my drawings! I've already started scripting a story and you know I've always been good at that!" His literature grade was probably his highest grade next to physical education._

_"Your best won't be enough." Grisha snapped, lips twisting into a sneer underneath his trimmed mustache. "You're not a child anymore, Eren, you're an adult and you should act like it!"_

_"And I am! I've done research into it with Armin and we both agree that I can make it!"_

_"Dear..." Carla began hesitantly while placing a hand on her husband's shoulder. "Why don't we let him do this? If it doesn't work out, he can always apply to university later. There's no age limit."_

_Eren lit up and nodded. His mom was on his side."Exactly! I want to take this risk and actually make my nightmares into something that can benefit me, you know?"  Because if he could draw it out, maybe, just maybe, he could finally unravel who the people in his dreams were. He could learn who his captain was._

_Grisha gazed at his son with a blank expression before scoffing. "...I've clearly spoiled you too much with all these video games and anime poisoning your brain." Eren felt himself wilt inside at his dad's mocking tone. "Fine, if you insist you're an adult, then you can do whatever you want, but know this: I will not be supporting you financially anymore. No son of mine will have my support if he's going to make stupid decisions regarding his life."_

_Eyes widening, Eren flinched and shrunk into himself. "You're...You're kicking me out?" He asked in a whisper, already feeling his eyes mist over with tears. He knew his dad wouldn't be happy, but to actually cut him off like this felt like a blow to his heart._

_"Now just one second!" Carla interjected loudly, gaining both their attentions. "I have had enough, Grisha Jaeger!" She fumed, arms crossed defiantly. "He is my son too and I support whatever he wants to do! You are not the only parent here and this household's finances are under my say, and I say Eren does not have to move out! We will continue to support him until he's on his own two feet like any other good parent!"_

_"So we'll suffer him as our burden for the rest of our lives?" Grisha retorted sardonically. "You know as well as I do that there is no future in what he is choosing! Whatever money he makes won't even be enough to pay his own food, let alone his other expenses like rent! I want what's best for him and that's in a stable, normal job like mine, not some dumb dream."_

_Dumb?_

_Eren clenched his hands so tightly that his knuckles cracked and his nails dug crescent marks into his palms. "...So you just think I'm dumb? That I'm not smart enough?" He whispered, lifting his head to show watery eyes that were alight with anger. "I love you dad, but fuck you! You've always played it safe, never doing anything fun or exciting because of the risks, but I'm not like you and I'll prove to you that I will be successful!"_

_Grisha's face darkened. "Eren..." He warned._

_"Just put your trust in me!" Eren yelled, shooting up from his seat to glare down at his father. "I_ will _do this and I_ will _succeed!"_

_His father narrowed his eyes and heaved a sigh, holding a hand to his forehead. "Why can't you be like Mikasa." He muttered, and Eren flinched._

_Mikasa was the daughter of a family friend, and they grew up together along with Armin. She had moved away a few years ago with her parents to Kyoto, but before that happened, she was like Eren's second shadow. Wherever he went, she was there, and whatever he did, she would do too. It wasn't that she was annoying or creepy (much), but because they had spent so much time together as kids, Eren had always been compared to her. He wasn't as strong as her, wasn't as smart, wasn't as quick, wasn't as talented. She was a blackbelt in karate, had top marks in school, and had gotten accepted to Tokyo University with a full ride scholarship like Armin. She was almost inhumanly talented._

_She was just as abnormal as he was, except her quirks were praised and his were condemned._

_They kept up communication via texting and video chats, but Eren was secretly glad she had moved away. It felt like he could breathe for the first time in years now that she was no longer suffocating him with her oh so prodigal self._

_But no matter what, he knew his parents wished that he could be half as normal as Mikasa._

_"...Fine." Grisha relented. "If you are able to find a foothold in the industry, I will admit I was wrong. Until then, you will graduate with a high school degree and find a way to support yourself. I'm not kicking you out," He added when he saw both his wife and son open their mouths to argue. "But neither will I pay for anything. You want to chase unrealistic dreams, then you will do it yourself."_

_Eren closed his mouth with a click and nodded firmly. "Fine."_

_Grisha nodded as well, and Carla relaxed with a sigh of relief._

With so many people doubting him, Eren really had thought about quitting and just doing what everyone else did. In fact, he almost quit several times because his manuscripts were criticized, rejected, and he was even outright blacklisted by one of the biggest entertainment companies in Japan. If it weren't for Hange, Armin, his mom, and occasionally Mikasa being there to support him...he would've.

But he didn't.

Putting away his dishes and silverware, Eren walked over to the balcony door and slid it open to let in some fresh spring air. "Haa..." He inhaled then exhaled, stretching his arms up into the air. "I'm so tired...But I gotta keep moving!" He slapped himself awake and went back to unpacking. It was gonna be a busy week and he had to fit his therapy session in there somewhere.

In the last two years, Hange had completely abandoned their physical office and did their sessions exclusively through video chat. Eren didn't mind, he preferred it honestly (because the one time he had been in their office, their assistant Moblit had run around screaming at them to not do this or that, and the office was filled with plastic brain models as well as human physiology dummies.) Sometimes when Eren called them, he could hear guitar twangs or drum beats in the background, but whenever he asked, Hange would just pretend they didn't hear him and continue asking him questions, which then made him forget he ever asked in the first place.

One day, Eren swore with a pout, he'd figure out just who his therapist was.

But first, he had to get a cup of coffee. Because he had moved in during daylight, he wouldn't have time to nap before nighttime, so he was gonna pull another all-nighter. He didn't mind though, he was used to it, and the sooner he cleaned up his mess and settled in, the faster he could get back to work.

Getting his coffee making station set up was the first step he took once his new place was cleaned, and he could finally sit down on his brand new couch with a tired sigh. "I'm beat..." Eren muttered, cuddling his cup of joe as if it was his most precious treasure. It was nice and warm, promising him strength to make it through the night.

His phone rang out, playing his favorite song from his favorite band, and he took it out of his pocket and accepted the call. "Hello!" He answered as chipper as he could.

" _Hi, Eren-kun._ " His agent answered kindly. " _I just want to make sure you're settling in at your new place, and to make sure I have the right address. You're living in the new apartment building next to the garden, yes?_ "

"Yes, that's correct!" He answered. He had been real lucky in finding this apartment, too. Not only was it a recently built modern complex, it was also clean, quiet, and only a twenty minute walk to the office. It meant that he could devote as much time as possible into his work.

" _All right then. Your next chapter is due in ten days, and don't forget to give your new neighbors gifts. It wouldn't be good for you to move into a new place and not do aisatsu._ "

"Oh-!" Eren gasped, shooting up from his seat and almost spilling his coffee. "I completely forgot, thank you Nanaba-san! A-And thank you for giving me this chance, I won't let you down!"

Nanaba was a somewhat tall person with short blonde hair who worked as an agent for his new office, and was the whole reason why he had finally found his big break. It was all thanks to them giving him a chance when nobody else would, and he promised to do his best every day to make sure they would never regret it.

Nanaba chuckled kindly. " _You're welcome, Eren-kun. I'll see you in ten days to pick up the chapter, and we'll go over any revisions at the office. Have a good night._ " Click.

Shoving his phone into his pocket, Eren rushed out of his brand new apartment- almost forgetting his keys and wallet, too- and flung himself down the stairwell. Elevator wasn't fast enough and it was evening now, meaning shops were closing. Shit!

Heading into the first convenience store he saw (which he realized was literally on his corner, _how convenient_ ), he sped through the aisles looking for the ideal gift for strangers. "What could work, what could work?" He muttered to himself in a panic. Chocolate? People could hate sweets. Peanuts? Allergies. Onigiri? Too cheap, right? 

Rushing into the next aisle, he bumped into a rather short man in a suit. "Oh, I'm sorry! I'm really sorry!" Eren blathered awkwardly, not really looking before he hurried down toward the cleaning supply section.

"Tch, damn brats these days..." He heard the man murmur behind him, and while Eren might normally turn around and confront him, right now he was just too overcome with panic to get angry.

'First time moving and I almost forgot to do welcome gifts!' Eren screamed at himself. His mom would be so disappointed in him.

Skidding to a stop in front of the cleaning supplies, Eren looked up and down the shelves for the best, non-irritant, scent free laundry soap. Finding it near the floor, he grabbed maybe four or five boxes and hurried to the cash register, almost stumbling on his own two feet. 

The man he had bumped into from before just finished paying for his purchase when Eren slammed down his stuff onto the counter. "Pl-Please gift wrap these!" He wheezed to the employee.

From his peripheral, he could see the short man give him what was probably a dark glare, but in the end just left the convenience store without saying a thing this time, taking his purchases with him. Eren was secretly glad because oh boy did he feel guilty for being so rude to someone in his new neighborhood. He was _not_ making a good first impression here.

"Do you want name tags as well?" The employee asked, and Eren nodded, taking his wallet out of his pocket. Digging around for some cash, he looked up at the total and blanched. He didn't have enough. 

"U-Um, do you take card?" He asked sheepishly when the employee returned with his soap boxes gift wrapped.

The employee nodded. "You're lucky, we're the only convenience store in this neighborhood that accepts card purchases. Please hover your card over the sensor."

Eren breathed out a sigh of relief and paid for his stuff, hurrying out of the convenience store and back to his new apartment building. Climbing up the stairs because he was an impatient shit who couldn't waste any time waiting for the elevator, he straightened out his clothes- an army green jacket with a beige shirt underneath and white jeans- and combed his shoulder-length hair with his hand. 

First stop, the neighbor living under him.

Taking a deep breath, Eren rang the doorbell, hearing a pleasant chime. A second later, the intercom buzzed. " _Hello?_ "

"Ah, hello!" Eren stammered out. "My name is Eren Jaeger and I just moved into the apartment above you. I'd like to introduce myself and give you a gift."

" _Oh, sure! One moment._ "

A few seconds later, a kind and portly woman opened the door. She was quite round, but in a healthy way, like a mom that loved cooking for everyone around her. Her hair which was pulled back into a low ponytail, was a cool shade of brown teetering on gray, and her skin showed a few signs of wrinkles, but her eyes were bright and kind. "I was wondering what the commotion was earlier." She remarked jovially.

Face heating up in embarrassment, Eren bowed and held out one of his gift wrapped laundry soaps. "Hello, my name is Eren Jaeger and I just moved into this apartment complex today! I just wanted to introduce myself and to apologize for the noise. Please accept this gift."

Plump cheeks pulled up into a big smile and the woman took his gift and even pulled him into a great big hug. "Oh, you are just adorable, Jaeger-kun! You look the same age as my son, maybe a little younger. You must be doing very well for yourself to move in all alone."

"Ah..." Eren hugged her back awkwardly and laughed sheepishly. Wow, she was really familiar for some reason but he couldn't pinpoint why. Maybe he knew her son from somewhere? "I recently saved up enough from work to move out from home, so..."

Taking him by his shoulders, she looked him over with a kind smile. "So responsible for your age! Please, no need for formalities, just call me Rena! You can also call me Obachan if you'd like!"

He blushed shyly. "Um...yes, O-Obachan...I look forward to living alongside you." He bowed again before taking his leave, bowing several more times with each step he took until she finally closed the door, and he let out a sigh. One neighbor down, three more to go. Oh, and maybe one for the landlord...

Meeting the neighbor above him, a crabby man with an ugly undercut who insisted he was only 26, Eren left his gift in front of his left neighbor's door when they didn't answer, and finally, he made his way to the neighbor living to the right of him.

He heard that apartments that were on the ends of the building cost more because they dealt with one less neighbor, so he idly wondered if this neighbor would be loud or obnoxious. He hoped not. Everyone else, even Bozard-san above him, was pretty nice so far.

Holding the last gift in his hand, Eren rang the doorbell. This doorbell only made a short chime, which meant whoever was living here had the money to do renovations. 

No one answered.

Frowning, Eren rang the doorbell once more. If no one answered after this, he'll just leave the gift in front of the door and finally go home to resume work-

The intercom crackled. " _Who is it._ " 

The deep voice, coupled with undertones of irritation, made Eren feel nervous about approaching this neighbor, but he was the last one. "U-Um," He cleared his throat awkwardly. "M-My name is Eren Jaeger, I'm your new neighbor. I-uh, just want to introduce myself and give you a gift."

" _Don't bother. Leave._ "

Eren blinked. This guy was...rude. But Eren was nothing if not persistent. "Um, please I insist! I must've been very noisy earlier!"

The man- and it was very clear it was a man- let out an annoyed grunt and the intercom cut off. Eren was left floundering at the doorstep, wondering if he should really just leave and not potentially piss off his new neighbor, when the door was yanked open and he was face to face with the short man from the convenience store. 

Eren hadn't gotten a good look at him before since he had been in a rush, but now that he was standing in front of him, he felt his face heat up.

The man was pretty short, about 160cm so around his shoulder height, and had deep black hair. it was cut rather stylishly short, framing the sharp angles of his face and accentuating his thick neck with a neatly trimmed undercut. His suit looked tailored to him, what with how they showed off his broad shoulders and what looked to be very impressive biceps for his height. It was unbuttoned to show a skin-tight white dress shirt, hugging every single angle of his pecs and what was probably a six pack. His pale lips were thin, pulled down into a frown, and his eyes were sat behind a pair of slim expensive glasses.

Eren had never felt so paralyzed by someone's gaze before, and by how insanely attractive his new neighbor was. Holy shit, this guy was hot, and kind of familiar somehow...

Eyes that were the color of moonlight narrowed at the sight of him. "You're that damn brat from the convenience store downstairs." The man remarked coldly, his voice low and smooth and almost breathy. It froze the smile on Eren's face.

Ah-

"I-I'm really sorry about earlier!" Eren bowed lower than usual to show his sincere feelings. Fuck, first impression was already in the negatives! "This is the first time I'm moving by myself and I almost forgot to get welcome gifts, so I wanted to hurry and get them before it was too late-"

"Stop your damn blathering, you sound like an idiot." The man cut him off bluntly and Eren felt himself wince. "I get it. Just hand me the thing and we'll never see each other again, got it? You better keep quiet on your side," His eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. "I don't appreciate noisy brats like you."

Something about the tone of his voice, the inflection of the word brat, and even his appearance...

Without thinking, Eren snapped his heels together, straightened his back, and held a clenched hand over his heart. "Yessir!" He blurted out. His face heated up a second later when he realized what he just did. He just saluted this guy the same way he did in his dreams!

The man stared at him with one sharp eyebrow raised. "Hoh? Not bad." He remarked, crossing his arms. "What's your name again? Aaron?"

"Eren, Eren Jaeger." Eren introduced himself with a shy smile, cheeks still red from embarrassment. "I live in apartment 402. It's nice to meet you..?"

The man stared up at him for a few moments, long enough to make Eren feel even more uncomfortable, before finally taking the gift. "Levi. Just Levi. 401." He looked down at the gift and without waiting, unraveled the wrapping. A glint of satisfaction appeared in his eyes when he saw what it was. "Laundry soap, and a good brand too. Not bad."

Eren let out a relieved sigh. His neighbor seemed to be warming up to him! "Thank you for accepting my gift and I'm sorry if the noise bothered you earlier. I promise I'm a very quiet person!"

The man- Levi- scoffed. "That's what they all say."

"I really am!" Eren insisted with a pout. "I work from home so I'll be around a lot. Um, please don't hesitate to ring my door if you need anything!" He didn't know why, but he just really wanted to make a good impression on this guy. Not only was he hot, but he was also his neighbor, and if he pissed him off, he could have a very miserable time living here and that was the last thing he wanted. 

Levi raised a brow at his expression, his gaze softening just a little. "Sure, kid. Don't expect to see me often, I'm rarely here. Thanks for the soap, I'll put it to good use." 

Elated at his response, Eren beamed, emerald eyes shining alongside his white smile, and bowed again. "It's nice meeting you, Levi-san!" Hearing words of thanks from a man like this felt like he had accomplished something impossible. Having his approval felt really nice-

His phone rang, playing a tune from his favorite band, and he hurriedly dug it out of his pocket. "Oh, excuse me-" Eren apologized, not noticing Levi tense up at the song, and accepted the call. "Hello?"

" _Eren, are you moved in?_ " Mikasa's mild tones met his ear. " _Do you need any help? I'm done with classes for the night so I can come over-_ "

"For the last time, Mikasa, I have everything under control." Eren rolled his eyes. "I'll see you this weekend like I promised, but I have to go, okay?"

" _Eren, wait-_ "

He hung up before he had to listen to another one of her nagging questions, and gave his neighbor a sheepish smile. "I'm sorry, that was pretty rude. I'll, uh, just leave now. Thank you again for giving me a chance!"

Levi stared at him for a moment. "...You're welcome, kid. Who was that band?" He asked nonchalantly. "Your ringtone, I mean."

"Oh!" Eren lit up. "It's a song from my favorite band No Name! The song is called "Kneel Down, You Pigs" and even though the lyrics are pretty harsh, I really like it!"

"Oh?" Levi leaned against his doorway, seemingly interested to know more. "Why?"

Eren rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, the lyrics are strange since it jumps from saying 'I'll show you, tearing you to pieces' to 'What a mess, the tea's cold already.' I don't think there's a solid message behind it, it's more like a bunch of different messages put together, but there's so much talent in the singing and guitar and drumming, I just really love No Name- Ah!" He blushed again for the billionth time today. "I'm sorry, I get a little...passionate about things."

Levi snorted. "No shit, but hey, it's good to be passionate about things you like. Hiding it would just be cowardly." He glanced away for a moment. "So, you really like this band, huh?"

Eren nodded enthusiastically. "I do! Their music has helped me a lot since I discovered them, and the fact that they reached top 10 in the Oricon charts even though they've only been around for two years shows just how talented and hardworking they are! They're so mysterious too. There's only three members and they all hide their faces with bandages, and they rarely do live shows. I hope I'm able to get tickets to their next show, whenever that is."

Was it strange for him to be opening up to his new neighbor so quickly? Was he this desperate to be on good terms with him? Levi-san was nice, though mostly blunt and crabby. 'I guess...I really want to know more about Levi-san.' Eren thought bashfully.

His neighbor watched his expressions change from excitement, to fondness, to finally embarrassment at rambling so much, and gave him a minuscule twitch of a smile, making Eren's heart skip a beat at the handsome gesture. "Good luck then. It's getting late and brats like you need your rest." Levi raised a thin brow. "Are you even an adult yet?"

Eren pouted. "I'm 22 years old."

"Still a brat." Levi quipped before straightening up. "Go home and settle in."

Smiling a little more shyly, Eren bowed again. "It was nice meeting you, Levi-san. Have a good night."

His new neighbor nodded before closing the door with a click, letting Eren know his tasks were finally complete. Letting out a huge relieved sigh, Eren skipped back to his apartment and felt kind of stupidly proud when he used his own key to open the door to his own apartment. He really was on his own two feet now. 

Taking a long bath, Eren sat down at his new drawing table with a fresh cup of coffee, and turned on the lamp. His rough sketches looked back at him, showing large teeth, blood, and the dismembered bodies of the people in his dreams. They were all drawn in several sections, showing progress from one scene to the next. 

"Just a few more scenes..." He mumbled.

He had come far. His dream that had been birthed within one night had accumulated into four years of hard work. Four years of sweat and tears, of countless hours drawing and improving. Sacrificing so much sleep and energy to create the story he wanted. 

He didn't want to hold back anything. His nightmares plagued him for almost all his life, but now they served as a boon. They helped him visualize what he wanted to draw, what he wanted to happen. Most of all, they gave him a purpose. He wasn't spending his life away in a boring office job. He was doing something he was proud of, and worked hard every day to improve.

His nightmares were a part of him, and he drew inspiration from them to create his story.

Picking up his pencil, he began drawing, throwing himself into his work. The hours flew by, the sky darkening into a dark blue before lightening up in orange hues. He didn't stop working, not even when Nanaba-san texted him the big news. It only fueled him to work even harder.

Because he was Eren Jaeger, 22 years old, and the author of "Shingeki No Kyojin." His manga that he worked so hard for, that was rejected several times by different publishing companies until Nanaba had given him a chance and he signed with Kodansha. 

His manga that had quickly climbed the charts, selling over four million copies overall, and was now...

An anime.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No offense to Daito Gakuin (eventhoughthey'rerankedoneoftheworstuniversitiesinJapanbutidigress) cough.  
> Mos Burger- a Japanese fast food chain (basically their answer to mcdonalds)  
> Japan likes to stick to using physical currency, and a lot of places, even big chains, won't take card.  
> Obachan- Auntie, or any kind older woman  
> In Japan, it's customary to give gifts to your neighbors when you first move in, unless it's like a temporary living situation.  
> Oricon charts - japan's version of the billboard charts, so basically only the most popular songs (no matter the genre) make it up there
> 
> Who do you think that obachan is? hehe
> 
> I greatly appreciate comments! <3


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the very late update! I really wanted to update sooner but midterms + inktober exhausted me. Have an extra long chapter as an apology and thanks for keeping up with my story!

Eren furrowed his brow, eyes still closed. Wait, his eyes were closed? Had he fallen asleep during the day? He didn't remember having any nightmares...

Scrunching up his face, he forced his eyelids to move. His eyes were so dry that opening them felt like dragging sandpaper. "...Ow." He muttered, one hand blindly patting his desk for eyedrops. He had them somewhere...

Pencils fell on the floor along with his trusty eraser, but finally he felt something that resembled a small bottle and he closed his fingers around it. He still hadn't moved off of his desk but he uncapped the bottle and held it above his eyes. One drop, two drops...Five drops. Half the bottle.

Once his eyes stopped feeling like they were gonna tear his eyelids apart, Eren blinked his exhaustion away. When did he fall asleep? What woke him? 

It only took a couple more minutes of laying still before he realized he was still listening to music. He pulled out his earbuds, No Name's "You Are Beneath Me" still blaring softly. He had their new album on loop to help him power through the last few pages, and it almost felt like the singer, L, was serenading him, his deep velvet tones wrapping around his exhausted brain. Now he could barely discern what he was saying, the singing and the guitar and drums all blending into just. Noise.

Picking himself off the table, Eren tiredly rubbed his face and looked down at his work. "I...finished." He breathed out with a strained smile, holding a stack of papers containing his latest chapter in his ink stained hands. When did that happen? He didn't remember what he had drawn.

An unfamiliar sound echoed throughout his humble apartment and Eren slowly blinked. It happened again, and again, with increasing fervor, and it took him an embarrassingly long time to realize it was his doorbell. "Who the hell..?" He muttered, scooting back his chair to stand up. Who the hell was spamming his doorbell? 

He almost stumbled but caught himself on the edge of the desk at the last second and collapsed on his knees. "Ugh..." Eren groaned tiredly, more akin to a zombie than a human. What time was it? 

He lifted up his head and squinted at the various empty cups of coffee sitting on the side of his desk as well as several empty cans of energy drinks. Heck, there was even a spider web stringing two cans together.

"Need to clean..." He mumbled drowsily, pushing himself off the floor. His foot hit several books on human anatomical references, scattering them all over, and he decided, fuck it, he can clean some other time. Right now he needed a bath because there was a rank smell in the room and it wasn't coming from his desk or anywhere else.

When did he last bathe..?

Eren lifted up an arm and sniffed his armpit, and immediately recoiled. "Ugh, gross!" He wrinkled his noise and held in the urge to vomit. There was nothing to vomit up anyway, he hadn't eaten anything in...How long?

He swiped his phone off the table to look at the time, except...it didn't turn on. Did it die?

Grumbling, he shambled to the phone charger and plugged it in. His apartment was still pretty bare aside from the essentials, and that was only because his mom nagged him to get real furniture. If it was up to him, all he'd have would be his work desk and maybe a futon.

His phone finally booted up and the time showed up on the lock screen. "12:45PM..." Eren looked down at the date and blinked. And blinked again. 

His eyes must be fooling him because it said it was April 14th, nine days since he had moved in.

"...Oh. So that's why I smell, and why there's a mess of cups..." Eren breathed out, nodding absentmindedly. It all made sense now...Or did it. He wasn't really at full brain capacity.

Another ring from the doorbell, now more annoyed than before, echoed throughout his apartment and he finally remembered, oh yeah, someone was at his door.

Scrambling off the floor and almost sending his phone into the wall, Eren hurried. "Coming!" He yelled out, even forgetting he had an intercom camera to check who was there. He stumbled over an unopened box as well as several pairs of shoes at the front foyer. "Damn it..." He grumbled, using the shoe cabinet to hoist himself up. Opening up the front door, he pasted a polite smile on his face. "Yes-?"

Before he could get another word in, he was catapulted through the air and back into his apartment, landing painfully on his butt. "Ow!" He rubbed his butt, wincing. "Mikasa!"

" **Eren.** " His childhood friend and self-appointed nagger stared down at him with wide and desperate eyes. " **You haven't answered your phone in days.** "

Eren sweatdropped and held up his hands in a surrender. Why did she have to be so scary. "S-Sorry, I've been working and you know how I get..." He yelped when a split second later, he was face to face with her, and she lifted him up effortlessly by the collar of his shirt. "Hey, you're gonna tear my shirt!"

Mikasa brought them close enough that their noses touched, and he was forced to look at her deathly gaze. " **I texted you 142 times and called you 36 times.** " 

Oh jeez, did she really? He'll have to erase those later. "Did you want something?" He asked hesitantly.

Her glower disappeared into a sad frown, and her grip loosened, putting him back on the ground. "I was worried." She admitted, hiding her lower face with her red scarf. "You just moved in all by yourself in a new neighborhood. We don't know anyone who lives nearby either, and no one is going to be able to look after you."

Eren felt his mood drop. "I'm a functioning adult, thank you very much." He snapped, picking himself from the ground. "I don't need you to look after me all the time."

"But you need someone to protect you-" Mikasa began to argue but he cut her off.

"You weren't there to look after me for ten years and I'm perfectly fine, I don't need you to start now!" Eren yelled, glaring at her. She was doing it again. Treating him as if he was some fragile kid. His nightmares had scared her when they had a sleepover as kids, and ever since, it was like she made it her life's mission to protect him. It got so damn annoying, especially since she was already perfect according to their parents. 

When he had discovered his talent for drawing, he hoarded it from her. It was the one thing he was good at that she couldn't do better.

Mikasa wilted in place, hurt tugging at her delicate features, and Eren felt a twinge of guilt right before she opened her mouth. "You say that, but you look like you haven't showered in days." She pointed out. "You stink, and you haven't shaved either."

Blinking, Eren brought a hand up to his chin, feeling coarse fuzz all over. "I..." He floundered. "I just...haven't unpacked my razor yet! And it's a new cologne, okay!" He weakly defended himself.

Mikasa gave him a blank stare before slipping out of her shoes and walking further into his apartment. Eren was left staring after her before he tensed. She was heading for his room with the mess of coffee cups!-

The bedroom door was slammed open and Mikasa deadpanned at the sheer amount of empty cups and energy drink cans that were littered around his work desk. "...You need to take better care of yourself, Eren." She said after a minute, her eyes following a small spider that darted between the mess. "You can't keep treating yourself like crap, especially now that you're living by yourself." She turned around and gave him a worried frown. "What if you pass out and no one's around? What if I didn't come today and you died from starvation?"

Eren pursed his lips but reluctantly nodded. She had a point. He probably wasn't gonna wake up today if it weren't for her abusing his doorbell. "...Fine, I'll try not to let it get this bad, but I have deadlines to meet. I refuse to fall behind on the manga."

Mikasa perched her hands on her hips. "Work is work, but don't let it kill you. Go clean yourself up, I'll cook something for you." She ordered.

He threw his hands up in exasperation. "Fine. I don't know what you're gonna cook since I'm pretty sure I didn't buy any groceries." Pushing past her into his room, he took out some random clothes from his closet and headed to his bathroom. He took a deep breath before he began stripping. This was his first time using his bathroom, aside from whatever toilet breaks he took during the last week and a half.

Taking a seat on the small stool, Eren felt the room tilt. Clenching his eyes shut, he opened and blinked until everything stopped moving. "Holy shit, I need real sleep soon..." 

Scrubbing himself down while the bath filled up, he made sure to use extra soap to wash away the bad stench he had accumulated. He painstakingly shaved every follicle of hair on his body that had grown, and then shaved off his beard. If he kept it, he would look way too much like his dad.

Just the thought of his dad sent a bittersweet pang to his heart. His dad still didn't believe he was going to make it as a mangaka. Even when Eren showed him how much money he was making, his contract with Kodansha, his sales...He didn't know what it would take to make his dad finally stop thinking his dream was just that, a dream. Even on the day he moved out, his dad was still pushing for him to go to university...

_"Eren, you're just wasting money at this point." Grisha pointed out disapprovingly, watching from the doorway of his son's room. "If you would just go to university, you would find a real, stable job that could support you."_

_"I do have a job that supports me." Eren snarked, packing the last of his belongings. His room was stripped bare aside from his bed. His mom insisted he was going to come back some times to stay the night, to spend time with his parents again. He honestly didn't know if he would, though. Coming back meant putting up with this._

_"Mark my words, Eren, this job can't support you well." Grisha warned. "Can't you see I'm just trying to help you? You're being immature by thinking that being an artist would ever bring you a stable income."_

_"Just shut up!" Eren snapped, glaring at his dad with hurt eyes. "I get it, you're disappointed in me. You've always been disappointed in me! But for once in my life, can you just let me take this risk?!"_

_"Your nightmares-"_

_"Fuck them!" He shouted. "I'm not gonna let them hold me back from doing something I like! They don't scare me anymore, they haven't scared me for a long time, and now they're finally gonna benefit me!" He dug into the box and held up the first volume of his manga, Shingeki no Kyojin. "Look! Look at what my nightmares helped me create! They gave me a job, a passion that I wanna do!"_

_"They also took away your childhood!" Grisha yelled back, his calm exterior cracking. "You woke up screaming every night! You were scared of the dark, you were scared of eating meat, you were scared of your own parents! Because you dreamed of us being eaten! We couldn't even let you outside!"_

_Eren quieted. His childhood...hadn't been normal. Because of how bad his nightmares had been, he used to have trouble differentiating reality and dream. The drugs hadn't helped, either._

_"...Yeah, I'm not normal." He began after a few tense moments. "I've never been normal. So, don't expect me to be a normal man." Standing up, he faced his dad with a determined frown. "My nightmares are a part of me, so I'll take what I can get and use them for something good."_

_His dad only grimaced and after taking a step back, disappeared from the doorway of his room._

Letting out a heavy sigh, Eren washed off all the suds before taking a seat in the hot bath. He moaned softly as the hot water helped to relax his stiff shoulders. He slid deeper into the tub until the water just covered his mouth and idly looked up at the ceiling.

Nine days in his new apartment and all he did was draw, draw, draw. He hadn't even unpacked his computer or his PS4. All he had consumed had been coffee and energy drinks, maybe some protein bars that he had kept from his stash back home- _his parents' home_.

Leaning back against the tiled wall, Eren tilted his head and stared at the wall. The wall that divided his apartment from his neighbor's. "Levi-san..." He was so handsome and cool, and his voice...If Eren could sum it up in one word, it would be alluring.

His sexuality wasn't something he really thought about, given that everyone he knew was through school and they all knew him as the crazy bastard who slept in class a lot. He acknowledged that girls- sorry, women like Mikasa were beautiful, but they were beautiful in the sense of art. He admired them, but he wasn't drooling after them.

Most guys pissed him off, especially that one horsefaced jackass from middle and high school, and none of them were particularly attractive. Armin was cute, but he was his best friend. Plus, he was devious as hell behind his innocent exterior and had way too much blackmail material on him, so there was no way Eren would ever date him.

The one man who had ever captured his attention was L, from No Name. He covered half his face with bandages, as did H and M who were the guitarist and drummer respectively, so all Eren had ever seen was the lower half of his face, and what a face it was. L had a sharp but strong jaw, supported by his well defined neck. His lips were thin but perfectly arched, and his nose was straight and gorgeous. His hair was a beautiful ebony black that the white bandages contrasted against, and so every one of his features were emboldened. 

Eren let out a dreamy sigh. L was the epitome of his wet dream.

But it wasn't just his physical features. It was his voice that really enraptured him. Deep and smooth and so sensual. The slow songs on their album really highlighted that. In an instant though, it could be growling, yelling, _strong_. Telling his fans to kneel like the pigs they are. Shouting how they were going to win against any opposition, to bring down the monsters that plagued their society. 

One day, he had to attend a live. It didn't happen often, maybe twice a year if the band felt generous. They were more focused on creating music and less about performing, which Eren was fine about, if a little disappointed. He had been so busy with the manga that he had yet to make it to any of the lives.

But with his new neighbor encouraging him, maybe he could take some time off for the next one. 

Speaking of new neighbors, hopefully he hadn't done anything weird or loud in the last week and a half. He was usually pretty quiet when he worked, but considering the fact that he had no memory of doing anything in the last nine days except what he was drawing and writing, he should go apologize just in case.

"Eren? Food's ready."

Blinking his eyes, Eren drained the tub and slowly stood up. "Comin'..." He answered drowsily.

His foot caught the edge of the tub and he stumbled, his forehead hitting the wall. "Ow!" He winced, holding his head in his hands.

"Eren?! Are you okay?!" Mikasa yelled from right outside the door. "I'm coming in!"

He snapped his head toward the door in panic, still dripping wet and naked. "Hell no, you're not!" 

 

* * *

 

 

After an eventful time stopping Mikasa from barging in on him in the bathroom, Eren wolfed down three bowls of rice and all the food Mikasa had cooked for him. Somehow, she had been able to produce miso soup, rolled eggs, steamed bamboo shoots, and even fried karaage. She tried to make him slow down but after nine days of little sustenance, he was _starving_.

She had to roll him into the living room after, where she then unpacked his TV and PS4 so they could sit down and watch something. They ended up talking a bit- well, she talked while he mumbled in his food coma.

Mikasa was close to finishing her degree in law. She was going to become a prosecutor in Tokyo.

Eren wondered why she didn't just go become one in Kyoto where she'd be closer to her parents, but she told him she was here to protect him, and one way to protect him was to make sure criminals were put away in prison so they could never hurt him. Besides, she would have more work here and she took genuine satisfaction in making sure society was safer.

Eren rolled his eyes and focused back on the TV. A commercial played, showing an advertisement for a popular bookstore chain. The screen flashed different books like cookbooks, textbooks, and even manga. He perked up when there was actually a five second highlight about manga, and the spokesperson held up a copy of Shingeki no Kyojin volume 3. "Hey...You think if I show my dad something like this, he'd finally believe me?" He murmured, eyes focused on the TV.

Mikasa hesitated. "Maybe...But Jaeger-san seems very stubborn. It's been four years and he still hasn't accepted your job." She fiddled with her scarf. "Sometimes I worry about your job, too..."

Temper rising, Eren turned to her with a frown. "Oh c'mon, not you too." He complained, irritated. "This apartment is already proof that my job can support me, okay? People read my manga, they buy the volumes! I'm doing well for myself."

She nodded, trying to placate him. "Yes, I know, I'm sorry. It's just not a conventional job so I'm not sure, that's all."

"Armin already helped me map out how to work my career." Eren pointed out with a pout. "I'm under contract with Kodansha too. Everything is fine."

Mikasa frowned. "Maybe so, but your sleep is getting worse. You sleep during the night to get inspiration from your nightmares and then you stay up for days on end, working and straining your body. I know you love this job, but please," She held his hand between hers in a prayer. "Take care of yourself. I don't want you to die from an aneurysm or something."

Eren pursed his lips but nodded. "Yeah, I got it. Sorry I worried you." It wasn't his intention to kill himself via work. He just wanted to do something useful with himself, and if his nightmares could entertain thousands of readers, then he could do with a little less sleep.

Plopping himself down on the couch again, he laid his head on Mikasa's lap, eyes heavy with sleep. He was finally crashing for real, huh, now that he'd gotten some food inside his body.

A hand came down and gently petted his head, twisting the long strands of hair. "Are you going to get a haircut?" He heard Mikasa ask. "Your hair is already beyond shoulder length."

"Mm...Nah." Eren breathed out. "I like it long, and I can just put it in a bun."

"Eren with a man bun." Mikasa mused. "Who would've ever thought..."

"Hey..." Eren weakly protested, slowly blinking up at her. "Armin said it would look cool."

"Armin always supports you, so you shouldn't take everything he says to heart." She lifted a brow, amused. "At least make sure to shave, otherwise I may have to start calling you Jaeger-san, too."

Groaning, Eren rolled off the couch and stretched. "I think...I'm gonna go sleep now." He scratched his messy hair that was still a little damp from his bath. "I have to go into the office tomorrow to hand in my new chapter, so I should catch up on rest."

Mikasa nodded and stood up as well, lightly pushing him toward his bedroom. Even though she was shorter than him by a couple inches, she was still physically stronger which kind of irked him. "Try to wake up before night time." She advised. "And if you need anything, you only need to call or text me."

"Yes, yes." Eren grumbled, throwing himself on top of his brand new bed. "I'll set an alarm this time so I won't need you to come check up on my dead body."

"Don't joke about that." She snapped, throwing the blanket on top of him and almost suffocating him. "I'll never let anything harm you, even if it's yourself."

Snorting lightly, Eren closed his eyes. Even though she was so annoying, she cared about him, and he cared about her, too. "Don't protect me from Levi-san, okay..." He murmured, a yawn escaping from him. "He's cool..."

"'Levi-san'?..." He heard Mikasa say right before he fell asleep.

 

* * *

 

 

Eren frowned, slowly waking up from his deep sleep. An echoing noise kept ringing about, a familiar one at that.

Someone was at his door again?

Wrestling out of his blankets, he searched his bedside table for his phone, and turned on the lock screen. "10:41PM..." He read, voice still rough with sleep. He had knocked out for a good eight hours, not bad for once. He felt a lot better compared to before, too.

His doorbell rang again, and he reluctantly left his bed and headed toward the door. This time, he actually stopped to use the intercom on the wall next to the kitchen area. "Who is it?" He asked.

" _Oi, it's me, brat._ "

His eyes flew wide open and his heart skipped a beat at the sound of his neighbor's velvety voice. "Levi-san!" He panicked. Why was his super hot neighbor ringing his doorbell? Didn't he say he wasn't gonna bother? "U-Uh, one moment!" 

Dashing to the bathroom, Eren made sure to splash his face with some water to wash away any signs of sleepiness, and messily combed his hair with his fingers into a halfhearted man bun. He was wearing a shirt and pants, so he was presentable. Looking himself in the mirror, Eren let out a small breath. A man bun did look good on him.

The doorbell rang again, a sharp one this time, and he scrambled to the front door. Almost crashing onto the door, he opened the door with what he hoped was a nice smile. "G-Good evening, Levi-san..."

His neighbor only gave him an unimpressed frown. "It's rude to make someone wait at your door, brat." He drawled, arms crossed. He was clothed in what looked like a classy silver button up shirt as well as expensive black slacks. His black hair was parted perfectly to highlight his sharp eyes, which were filled with irritation.

Eren immediately bowed his head. "I-I'm sorry, I just woke up. My sleep schedule is a little weird. Is- I mean," He fumbled with his words, inwardly cursing himself. How did this man affect him like this?! He was stuttering like some dumb high school girl with a crush on her senpai! "Did-Did you need something?"  

Levi raised a brow at his skittish behavior and let out a small sigh. "Relax. I'm not here to yell at you or whatever you think I was going to do. I just want to ask a question."

Eren blinked. "H-Huh? Like what?"

"...Are you okay?" Levi eventually asked, brows slightly furrowed. "I told you when we met that I'm not around often, just to sleep, but you...you haven't turned off your bedroom light for nine days _straight._ "

Oh. Oops. "I haven't?" Eren laughed sheepishly, one hand coming up to rub the back of his head. "I-Um, I have a deadline to meet, so I've been working a lot..."

Levi's other eyebrow lifted up as well. "For nine days straight? Have you slept?" He looked closer at the younger man and frowned. "You look like shit with those dark circles."

Gasping, Eren covered his face. "Um! It doesn't usually get this bad, but since I had to pack and move, I lost time to work, so I've been pushing myself. You aren't the first person to ask." He chuckled, embarrassed at himself. He had forgotten to cover up his face with any concealer, and now his hot neighbor would think he was some kind of weird workaholic. Ugh, just his luck. "Um, I'm sorry if my light bothered you- Wait," He blinked, lowering his hands. "You can see my bedroom light?"

Levi rolled his eyes. "Your balcony is next to mine, so of course I can see your bright ass light through your glass doors."

"Oh..." Eren just wanted to curl up and die in a corner somewhere. "I'm sorry, I must've bothered you...I'll, um. I can move my work station to the living room or something so you won't have to see my lights on all the time."

"Don't go that far for a stranger like me." Levi frowned. "If you're comfortable doing your job in your bedroom then fucking do it. Don't bend over backwards just because of a little complaint. Besides," He lightly smirked. "Who said it bothered me?"

Feeling his face redden, Eren looked away shyly. "R-Right, sorry again. Thank you for thinking about my health." His neighbor didn't seem like the type of person who would reach out to a stranger like him, but he had. "You're..." He looked up at the shorter man and smiled warmly. "You're very kind, Levi-san."

Levi's eyes widened a fraction and- did Eren see a hint of red on his pale skin?- he scoffed. "I'm just being the responsible adult here. A brat like you probably lives off a diet of convenience store food and energy drinks."

Eren puffed up. "No I don't! I actually live off of convenience store food and _coffee_." He corrected with a proud smirk. Coffee was way more delicious and sophisticated, but he did drink energy drinks if he needed a quick pick-me-up. "But only when I work. If there's no deadline, I'd cook."

"Wow." Levi said flatly. "Congratulations, you can adult." Shaking his head, he headed toward the next door to his own apartment. "Make sure you don't die, brat. Corpses smell and I _hate_ dirty things."

Eren laughed slightly and waved. "Good night, Levi-san. And thank you again for checking up on me!" He raised his voice, seeing his neighbor raise a hand in response to show he heard. "I'll pay you back!"

Closing his door, Eren slid down to the floor and covered his face with a quiet squeal. He totally looked like an idiot in front of him, again, but the fact that Levi-san came to check up on him spoke volumes about his real self. He even said Eren didn't bother him! 

He should totally repay him back somehow for being so kind, maybe a home cooked meal? He could make a mean omurice, but maybe something more sophisticated...

His phone beeped from inside his bedroom and he headed there to pick it up. The notification was a reminder that tomorrow was his deadline and he had to hand in his latest chapter, 10AM sharp.

Eren pumped a fist and went to his drawing desk to organize and clean up his crap. He was going to hand this in, talk with his editors and the company about what was going to happen now with Nanaba-san's announcement, and then he'll find some way to pay Levi-san back for his kindness!

 

* * *

 

 

Rushing into the building, Eren took a few seconds to regain his breath. It was 9:45AM, a little earlier than planned, but early was good. Early showed he was serious about fulfilling his end of the contract, and about satisfying his fans. 

Taking a deep breath, he used the time to look around.

Kodansha was actually a cluster of buildings. One being the head office, and one for the several divisions in the company. The building Eren had entered was the general building. The lobby had floor-to-ceiling glass windows as well as a small waiting area in the corner. There was a reception desk that no one really used, with employees coming in and out of the electronic gates with a tap of their ID cards. There was even a small food corner/cafeteria for people who were too busy working to leave the office. 

When Nanaba-san had given him his first tour here, they told him there were also dormitories for anyone who needed to stay overnight, or even several nights. Eren would've been one of those if he hadn't found an apartment so close by.

Walking up to the electronic gate, he tapped his ID on the scanner, waved hi to the receptionist Petra-san, and headed up to floor 12. Other people squeezed into the elevator with him and Eren grimaced, wondering if his simple beige shirt and his dark blue jeans were professional enough. He was told mangakas weren't held to the same office wear standard like everyone else, but still. Sometimes, coming in to the office meant feeling like a kid playing in the big leagues.

The elevator door slid open on his floor and he walked out, waving hi to everyone. "Good morning Eld-san, Gunther-san! Good morning, Ness-san, Gelgar-san!" He bowed with every greeting, not stopping.

"Good morning." Eld gave him a small smile from his cubicle.

"Working hard as usual, Eren?" Gunther waved. "Your dark circles are showing through your makeup."

"When are we gonna have a break?" Gelgar groaned in front of his desk, planting his face on his cell sheets. "I need a drink..."

"Morning, Eren!" Ness chimed in, holding up a cup of coffee. "Is it time for a new chapter already?"

Eren held up his briefcase and beamed. "Yep! Thank you very much for your hard work!"

Eld, Gunter, Ness, and Gelgar were his environment artists. Eld and Gunther drew buildings as well as landscapes, Ness drew animals such as horses, and Gelgar was a fine detail environment artist, adding things like bottles in bars, broken chairs, things that Eren didn't have time to work on. All four of them were extremely talented as artists and honestly, his manga wouldn't look as good if it weren't for them.

Anyone who looked at volume one would say Eren had improved drastically in his art, but truthfully it was because he had other people to help him with the smaller things now. 

Moving past the various cubicles and making sure not to disturb any of the multiple piles of paper, he finally found Nanaba-san's office and politely knocked twice. A voice rang out, telling him to come in, and he opened the door. "Good morning, Nanaba-san. I have the newest chapter done." He smiled brightly.

Nanaba looked up from their computer and gave him a soothing smile. "Good morning, Eren-kun. Thank you for your hard work."

"I can do nothing less." Eren grinned, taking a seat at their desk. Nanaba-san was like that cool uncle or aunt that always encouraged him. He still didn't know their gender, but Nanaba told him it didn't matter. What mattered was that they had a good work relationship, which he agreed with.

Nanaba accepted the clear file containing the new volume and looked them over with a hum. "These are good...Your faces are improving as well." They complimented him, which he beamed in response. "By the way, did you receive my text?"

Eren blinked. "Text? Oh!" He gasped, almost jumping out of his chair. "You mean...the one about..."

Chuckling, Nanaba nodded. "Yes, it's true. We talked it over with the higher-ups, and seeing how well your manga sales have been, we're going to take the chance to create an anime for it. Congratulations, Eren-kun."

Eren breathed out in delight, collapsing back in his chair. "My manga...is going to become an anime..." He smiled so hard his cheeks started to hurt. "What has been decided? Who's working on it, do I know them? Have the voice actors been chosen yet? The music? The-"

"Breathe." Nanaba advised him, amused by his reaction. "We haven't announced it publicly yet, so don't tell anyone. I need you to sign these NDAs as well," They held out several stacks of forms. "And I have another thing to tell you after."

Staring bleakly at the paperwork, Eren heaved a sigh and picked up a pen. He read through the forms carefully, making sure they were only going to restrict his permission to give out information and not restrict him physically. He remembered that another popular publishing company he had approached in the past had something that was physically binding in their contract, like 'you can't leave your house from 12-9 and contact with people outside of the company is prohibited.' That was his clear sign to run away as fast as he could.

Signing all the forms, Eren handed them back to Nanaba who stood up. "Follow me, I'm going to introduce you to someone." They advised, gesturing outside of their office. Blinking, Eren made to follow them, waving again to his fellow artists and co-workers. They were all on good terms, which was probably the most ideal work environment Eren could've ended up with.

Taking the elevator to floor 8, Nanaba led him to the marketing department. "Because Shingeki no Kyojin is being turned into an anime, we need to devise a new marketing plan to help advertise it well." They explained to him. "We've already picked out a marketing manager, and though he's new, his resume is quite impressive, so we're trusting him with this."

"Are you sure?" Eren worried. "I mean, I trust your judgment, but..."

"Why don't you give your opinion after you meet him?" Nanaba smiled mysteriously. "He seems eager to meet you."

Eren blinked. Eager to meet him? Was he a fan of the manga? 

Stopping at an office in the corner of the building, there were several boxes stacked up, showing that this new marketing manager was still in the process of moving in. There wasn't even a nametag on the door yet.

Nanaba knocked on the door. "It's me, Nanaba. I brought Eren-kun with me."

Footsteps hurried to the door and a second later it was yanked open, showing a familiar figure.

Eren's eyes widened. "You?!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who is that hm
> 
> Let me know what you think so far, comments are appreciated!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> haven't updated in a month good job me. I'm really sorry ;A;
> 
> (On a serious note, my finals are coming up so this may be the last update for a while, sorry!)

 

 

The arrogant smirk on his new marketing manager's face was infuriatingly familiar, and Eren could feel his blood boiling from the sight of it even after four years. "Kirschtein." He greeted in a clipped tone.

"Jaeger." Jean mocked, crossing his arms while leaning against the doorway of his new office. "I had my suspicions, but to think it really is you..."

Eren could feel a vein in his temple pulse. "And what's that supposed to mean?" He asked defensively.

Jean hadn't changed much, if at all. His face was still pretty long with narrowed eyes, though his hair had grown a little longer to be swept to the side now instead of staying as short messy spikes. He had grown taller, taller than him, Eren sullenly noted. He also wore a gray suit, nothing fancy or noteworthy, but the fact was that Eren was surprised the asshole from high school who constantly tried to torment him was now basically a corporate white collar.

Actually, thinking of it like that, Eren wasn't really that surprised.

Jean held his hands up in a surrender. "I'm just saying. You were the weirdo in high school who had no aspirations of doing anything with his life, but look at you now, a big shot Mangaka." He smirked. "Guess even someone like you gotta pull their weight instead of relying on their parents' money."

Scowling, Eren was about to open his mouth for a rebuttal when Nanaba stepped in. "Enough, you two." They turned to Jean with a disapproving frown. "Jean-kun, I understand you have a past with Eren-kun, but remember, _you_ were the one who begged to be his marketing manager. There were other, more qualified people in the marketing department who could've taken this position, so don't squander this opportunity."

"And Eren-kun," They turned to look at Eren. "Remember, you're his boss, so don't let him get to you. Leave behind your previous grievances." They crossed their arms. "I want the both of you to work together and if that can't happen then something _will_ have to change. Understand?"

"Yes, Nanaba-san." Both men intoned sheepishly, thoroughly scolded. Several others in the office had turned to watch with amused gazes, with some even snickering under their breaths.

Eren slid his gaze over to Jean and furrowed his brow. Jean had _begged_ to be his new marketing manager? Why would he do that?

Nanaba nodded, satisfied. "All right. I'll be returning to my office to process the new chapter. Eren-kun, Jean-kun will let you know everything. If you need me, just give me a call." With another nod, they left to the elevators.

An awkward silence fell on the two of them, and Eren fidgeted in place. "So, um..."

Jean heaved a loud sigh and ran a hand through his hair. "...You know what, Nanaba-san's right. We're not in high school anymore." Pursing his lips, he held out a hand. "I'll do my best as your marketing manager. You can count on me."

Frowning, Eren reluctantly shook his hand. "Likewise."

Taking a step back into the office, Jean gestured for him to come in as well. They both took a seat at the newly moved in desk, with Jean taking out several binders of information next to his computer. "All right, since you're getting an anime for Shingeki, we have to use a new approach." Jean lectured, handing Eren a few sheets of papers full of graphs and surveyed information. "Some manga readers aren't anime watchers, and _a lot_ of anime watchers aren't manga readers. This means that we have to advertise beyond just saying 'Shingeki no Kyojin sold four million copies, watch this anime.'"

"All right..." Eren nodded thoughtfully. "So how do we entice more watchers? Can we just run some new artwork promotions and maybe a TV ad or two?"

"Perhaps, but that'll all depend on the artworks themselves." Jean frowned, picking up a few photocopied sheets from Volume 4. "It'll have to wait until the animation studio approves the preliminary sketches. No offense to you, but your art is..." He snorted. "Pretty raw." 

Eren bristled in his seat. " _You_ try drawing on limited time and see how good your art is." He gritted out between his teeth. "The covers are drawn by me as well, you know."

"Don't get your panties in a twist, Jaeger." Jean rolled his eyes. "I'm just saying your art isn't really fit for promoting an anime. It's not dynamic enough, not enough color. You'll have to go over it with the animation studio to create a PV, and I'll work it out later."

"Then we're done here." Eren stood up and walked toward the door. "I need to get going."

"Wait!"

Pausing, Eren turned to give Jean a frown of confusion. "What? Make it quick, I have to get back to Nanaba-san."

Jean looked away and rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "Damn it, this is hard for me so shut up for a second, okay?" Noticing Eren's offended scowl, he quickly held up something. It was Shingeki no Kyojin volume 1. Judging by all the creases and the way the book had fanned out pages, it had been read religiously over and over.

"...I'm a big fan." Jean muttered, a hint of red in his cheeks. "It was high on a lot of manga recommendation lists so I decided to check it out and I got hooked. I graduated with a degree in marketing and saw Kodansha offered internships and...now I'm here. So, yeah."

Stunned, Eren could only stare at him with wide eyes. "...Wow. I-uh, thanks?" He furrowed his brow. "Why did you go into marketing anyway? I always thought you'd go into business. You'd fit right in."

Jean narrowed his eyes at him. "The hell is that supposed to mean?" He shook his head. "Whatever. I got sick of seeing things that had a lot of potential go to waste just because it wasn't advertised correctly. A lot of media goes unnoticed because there just isn't a good marketing manager helping it out. Doesn't matter how nice the art is, how well it's put together, or how professional it's done. If there's no word put out, then people wouldn't know it exists." He shrugged. "I knew that if I put my mind to it, I can take a little thing and make sure it gets the recognition it deserves. That's all."

"So it's all about helping the underdog?" Eren summarized, lightly shaking his head. "...You've changed."

"So have you." Jean retorted. "When I saw that Shingeki was made by someone under the initials E.J., I had doubts it would be you. I mean, you were always that weirdo who would fall asleep in class all the time."

Eren grimaced but didn't refute him. He did spend a majority of high school asleep. Daytime was the only time he could sleep without his nightmares but school was mandatory, so there had been no compromise.

"And you didn't have any aspirations to do anything." Jean continued insensitively. "If you weren't hanging around Armin at the library, then you'd disappear until the next school day. You had no interest in doing _anything_. You were weird."

Eren gave him a flat look. "I get it-"

"But during those last few months of senior year, you started getting this energy around you, as if you finally found something you could actually be excited for." Jean remarked solemnly, crossing his arms. "I knew somehow that you were going to do something reckless, and being a Mangaka is about as reckless as it gets. There's no guarantee you'd get anywhere with your art or story, but..." His expression lightened with a hint of disbelief. "You made it. You got signed with Kodansha of all companies, and you know what? You deserve it."

Eren floundered in his spot, cheeks a splotchy red. It felt so awkward to be complimented by Jean of all people, but...he couldn't help but feel touched and even a little bashful. Here was his old high school rival who never failed to try to get a rise out of him at every opportunity. Here was the guy who said he wouldn't get anywhere in life. Now they were both working for the same company, and Jean even wanted to help him so that his manga would succeed as an anime.

If even his biggest thorn in his side was complimenting his work, then that had to mean something. "Jean..."

Scrunching his face, Jean bowed. "I look forward to working with you, Eren-sensei."

Blushing a bright red now, Eren quickly bowed back. "Th-Thank you." He immediately responded. "I look forward to working with you as well, Jean."

An awkward silence permeated the small office.

"All right this is too weird." Jean quickly straightened up and tugged at his suit uncomfortably. "You have to go speak with Nanaba-san, right? And uh, I still have to tidy up my new office..."

Eren looked away. "R-Right, see ya."

"Wait. Before you go...Can you sign my copy?"

This was so weird, Eren thought with a sweatdrop.

 

 

* * *

 

 

A few hours later and after going through hundreds of pages of paperwork, Eren was sat in a conference room along with Nanaba, Jean, and several other producers and directors. They were finally talking about how to go about producing the anime. Since there were five volumes out right now, they decided on producing one season with 25 episodes. It'll cover everything up to a certain point, with some anime original scenes as well.

"...And we can perhaps add some minor changes to the fights, add some more dynamic camera angles and such." A lead animator ended. "Otherwise, we will probably have to wait until Eren-sensei releases a few more chapters until tackling a Season 2."

Eren nodded, holding his hands in his lap. "That sounds fine with me."

"I'll begin drawing up some marketing approaches then." Jean informed them all nervously, sitting rim-rod straight at his first official meeting. "We can start with a teaser post on social media, p-perhaps even a pilot episode?"

Nanaba shook their head. "There's no need for a pilot episode. Shingeki no Kyojin is popular enough to attract most of its fanbase to the anime, so we don't need to waste any resources. The only thing to decide now are the voice actors, and the music producers. Does anyone have any suggestions?"

After another hour, they finally picked all the voice actors they needed for the core cast. Other characters could be chosen at a later time by the studio itself, but Eren wanted to make sure that the right people were cast as his characters, especially his main character. Even now, his main character felt like a typical shounen protagonist. It was hard to write a good main character without making him too special, and that was why every other character around him was made to be talented. 

He wanted to translate the feeling of helplessness, of having some sort of power that only resulted in other people's deaths. He wanted his main character to convey the same feelings he had in his dreams, of watching people he knew be torn to bloody limbs. That no matter if the action is good or bad, there were still consequences to be felt, usually by the people closest to them. Lives would disappear in a blink of an eye. Yet even though the world seemed bleak, there was still the possibility of being free of blood and sorrow. 

_"Are you going to kneel like the pig you are, or will you stand up and fight for your freedom?" The song played in his ears, L's voice encouraging him to keep on going._

"And what about the music? Should we just use our usual contract or-"

Eren shot out of his seat. "Um, I have a suggestion!" Everyone turned to look at him with bewildered expressions at his outburst, and he sheepishly took his seat again. "S-Sorry, but I am serious about my idea."

"Um," Nanaba coughed politely into their hand. "And what is this suggestion?"

"Well..." Eren took a deep breath, trying hard not to seem too enthusiastic. Keep it together, Eren. "When I draw new chapters, I tend to listen to this band." He explained, stumbling a few times. "You could say that their music influenced how I created the manga so far, so I think it would only be appropriate if they had a hand in creating the soundtrack!"

"Oh great, Eren's being a fanboy..." Eren heard Jean mutter under his breath but he ignored it.

Nanaba raised a brow, interested. "Is that so? Do you know the band personally?"

"I wish..." Eren laughed awkwardly while rubbing the back of his neck. "They're fairly new and are quite secretive. I don't even know what they really look like, only the bottom half of their faces. They wear white bandages to cover their eyes, to conceal themselves from the public. I've never been able to attend any of their live performances either." Was that too much information?

Nanaba stilled in their seat, their pen dropping from their hand. "...Are you perhaps talking about No Name?" They spoke up almost hesitantly.

Eren perked up, along with the rest of the board. "Yes! How did you know? Do you listen to them as well?" He asked excitedly.

"Ah..." They held a hand to their face, looking away. "You could say that..." They murmured, downcast. "In any case, they're the band you want? I don't think it's wise to rely solely on them for the music production."

"Then perhaps just a couple of songs?" Eren suggested eagerly, not noticing their agent's change in mood. "I really think having a few songs with lyrics would really set the tone for some scenes I had in mind, like the death of the main character's mother and the ceremony."

Clenching their jaw for a moment, Nanaba relaxed their expression and gave him a small smile. "If that's what you want, Eren-kun. I'll contact their manager soon. In the meantime, why don't we have an actual composer for the soundtrack?..."

Eren was almost bouncing in his chair, trying to hold back a wide grin at the thought of No Name working on _his anime_ 's soundtrack. How amazing would that be?! Not only would their music fit to the series- with no bias from himself, of course- but maybe, just maybe, he could end up meeting the band themselves! 

He was so excited, he hadn't noticed Nanaba mention contacting No Name's manager so casually. If he had, he would question how they even knew the band had a manager, or how to contact them.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Yawning, Eren stretched his arms up in the night air as he left the office. "That meeting went on forever..." He muttered, heading down the smaller streets toward his apartment.

The meeting had gone on for five hours total, and that was just the beginning. They would have to meet weekly which will then change to biweekly for the others, but not for him or the animation team. He insisted in being part of the animation's progress, making sure that they would adhere to what he had originally drawn in the manga. He had heard of animes diverging from its original storyline, either due to pandering to fans or to delay the canon storyline to wait for more of the manga to progress. 

Eren clenched his hands in his jacket. He would make sure that his anime would stay true to his manga, otherwise it shouldn't exist. 

Walking down the next block, his phone suddenly rang with No Name's song playing as the ringtone. He picked it up without looking at the screen. "Hello?"

" _Eren, my baby!_ "

Eren immediately smiled. "Hi mom, what's up?"

" _I just want to check up on you. You didn't call us after you moved in, and I know how you can get so I gave you some time, but it's been almost two weeks!_ "

He sweatdropped. "Sorry, I got too into my work again. You know how it is." Bright lights caught his eye, and Eren changed directions to the nearby supermarket. He had to buy groceries. Now that he had met his deadline, he had some time before he had to start working on his next chapter, which meant he should actually stock his kitchen with _actual_ food instead of just coffee. Otherwise he might just die from starvation and Levi-san would complain about the smell of his decaying corpse.

Entering the super bright supermarket, he grabbed a basket with one hand while the other held his phone to his ear. "Anyway, I've been doing well. Mikasa showed up and helped me unpack, and I just handed in my newest chapter." He told his mom. "I also met my new neighbors and everyone's been really nice, especially Levi-san- er, I mean-"

" _Oh? Levi-san, huh?_ "

Eren felt his face grow hot at the thought of his mysterious neighbor. It was so confusing for him to be so flustered about a guy he barely knew. He didn't even know his last name, or where he worked. "Uh, he lives next door. We've talked a couple of times."

" _Does my baby boy like this 'Levi-san'?_ " Carla teased. " _Hm?_ "

"Mooom." He whined, quickly going aisle to aisle and grabbing what he needed. Chips definitely, some discounted sashimi and sushi, rice, potatoes, beef, chicken, eggs...

" _All right, all right._ " Carla laughed. " _But everything is okay over there? You're doing okay by yourself? Even with..._ "

"My nightmares?" Eren finished dryly, picking up a packet of instant miso soup. "I'm fine. I haven't slept during the night yet, but I picked this apartment because it boasted soundproof walls. Even if I scream, I won't be bothering Levi-san-" Shit, he mentioned him again! What the hell was wrong with him. "Er, my neighbors."

His mom barely stifled a giggle. " _All right. I'm glad everything is working out for you. I miss having you home, though, and I know your father does too, even though he's too stubborn to admit it._ "

Eren could immediately feel his mood plummet at the mention of his dad. "Sure he does." He growled "But as soon as I walk into the same room as him, the only thing he'll care about is lecturing me about going to University and giving up my career." He scoffed, throwing the miso packet into his basket with more force than necessary. "He's such a hypocrite."

" _...You know he cares._ "

"Do I?!" Eren shouted before lowering his voice, glancing around.

Some other shoppers had turned to look at him, but quickly turned back to their business. A few even gave him a dirty look for shouting in public, and he gave them an apologetic bow.

"Do I really?" He repeated quietly into his phone. "He doesn't seem to care about anything. Do you know what happened the day I moved out? I showed him proof of my success and he still scoffed in my face. It's like..." He sighed heavily. "It's like he's trying to remain blind to everything I do."

" _Oh, honey..._ " His mom whispered. " _I'm sorry._ "

"Don't be, it's not your fault he's being a dick about this." Eren sighed. "Whatever. I know I'm doing well and that's all I really need. No offence." He added. "I know you support me, even though you don't really understand..."

" _I'm your mother, it's my duty to support my son._ " Carla said warmly. " _I know you're probably busy so I'll let you go, but call me every once in a while, okay? You're twenty-two, but you'll always be my baby. I love you._ "

Eren felt his face grow hot from embarrassment, but his heart felt like it was about to burst. "I know. Love you too." He grinned softly before hanging up. He loved his mom. 

Turning down the next aisle, Eren stopped in surprise and had to resist the urge to hide behind a shelf. It was Levi-san in a normal button up shirt and black slacks, trying his best to reach a bottle of soy sauce. Judging by the slowly darkening expression on his face and the fact that his fingers barely brushed against it, he was getting pissed.

Pursing his lips, Eren took a deep breath to calm his thundering heart, and slowly stepped forward. "Levi-san!" He called out in what he hoped was a friendly and peaceful enough tone. "Good evening!"

The short man snapped toward him with a withering glare, left eyebrow twitching.

Eren faltered in his steps. His spine felt like it had been dumped with ice cold water, but he slowly glanced up to the soy sauce that his neighbor had been reaching for. It was one of the flavors he hated.

Grabbing the bottle, Eren pretended to examine it. "Huh...I usually get this one, but I've been thinking of switching soy sauces." He laughed nervously. 

Levi gave him a flat stare. "...I prefer it." He answered after a moment.

"Hmm..." Without waiting, Eren put the bottle into Levi's basket and picked up a bottle of his usual soy sauce. "Nah, I think I'll try this one." He smiled, giving the shorter man a small bow before hurriedly walking away. Shit, why did he feel like he almost lost his head there? Seemed like Levi-san didn't like his height being mentioned or even hinted at. Hopefully what he did was okay, right? He didn't want to anger the man any further.

"Oi, brat."

Freezing in place, Eren slowly turned around, gulping in fear.

He was met with the sight of Levi staring at his own basket, specifically at the bottle of soy sauce Eren had subtly gotten for him. "...You should eat more vegetables." Levi advised.

"Huh?" Eren blinked. What the hell did vegetables have to do with soy sauce?

Rolling his eyes, the shorter man gestured to the Mangaka's basket which was filled with meat and fish. "You need vegetables to have a healthy diet, otherwise you'll fuck up your body." He held up his hand and gestured for him. "Come."

Face heating up again, Eren stumbled after him into the vegetable section of the supermarket. "Um, I can pick out my own vegetables..." He argued.

He shrunk back when Levi turned to him with an unimpressed frown. "Clearly you can't," Levi shot back. "Otherwise you'd actually _have_ vegetables in your basket instead of just meat and empty carbs." He clicked his tongue in disapproval and began piling stuff into Eren's basket. Ginger, leeks, scallion, daikon radish, squash, broccoli...

By the end of it, Eren struggled to carry his basket toward the cash registers. "Levi-san...Is all this really necessary?" He asked through clenched teeth, his arms straining under the weight. He didn't even like squash.

"Don't ask stupid questions when you know the answer." Levi replied, holding his own equally full basket without any difficulty.

Eren eyed him incredulously. What kind of muscles was he packing to be able to lift all that up? 

Putting their groceries at separate counters, Eren was about to take out his wallet when a ¥10,000 bill was shoved in his face. "Huh-?" He almost stumbled back, going cross-eyed to look at the money.

Levi extended his hand again, his thin lips pulling down into a frown. "Take it." He insisted.

"What- No!" Eren immediately refused. "I'm not letting you pay for my own groceries, I can pay for myself!"

"I made you buy all these groceries, the least I can do is pay for it." Levi replied. Noticing Eren's refusal to back down, the shorter man quickly slapped the bill onto the counter, nodding to the cashier to take it. 

Eren was left gaping as he watched his neighbor pay for his groceries. The neighbor he barely knew, who barely tolerated him. What the hell?

Shaking his head, he realized Levi had already picked up his bags and was walking out of the supermarket. "Ah- Levi-san, wait up!" He took his groceries and quickly caught up with him using his longer legs, and soon walked side by side toward their apartment building. "...You didn't have to do that." Eren spoke up a few moments later. "I'm fully capable of paying for myself."

"I know." Levi replied back nonchalantly. "You wouldn't be able to afford an apartment in this district if you couldn't."

"Then why..?" Eren trailed off, confused.

Stopping under a streetlamp, Levi sighed. "Think of it as me making sure the building stays sanitized. Can't have your dead body shitting itself and attracting vermin."

Eren didn't know if he should be touched or offended. "...Thank you?" He answered weakly.

The walk back to their apartment building was short, and they both waved to the landlord who was sat in the lobby, a tall man named Mike with straw blond hair that almost covered his eyes.

Eren remembered when he offered his welcome gift to him. The man just... _smelled_ him. Took long whiffs with his rather large nose, and smirked afterward. Eren retreated pretty quickly after.

Taking the elevator up to the fourth floor, Eren noticed Levi stifling a yawn. "Tired?" He asked amiably. 

"Ah." Levi slowly blinked his eyes.

Looking at him closer, Eren noted that the man's dark circles seemed to be darker, though his glasses hid the severity. His skin, already pretty pale, was almost an unhealthy shade of white. "You should get some more rest." Eren advised concernedly. "Is your work that demanding?"

Levi snorted. "That's funny coming from you, but no. You could say it's related to my job, but it's more of a...personal reason." 

Eren was about to open his mouth to ask when the elevator dinged and the doors slid open to their floor. Getting off, they headed down the hallway to their respective apartments. Eren made sure that Levi opened his door before opening his own. "Good night, Levi-san. I hope you get more rest."

Levi paused, just almost closing his door, and gave him an almost unnoticeable smile. "Same to you, brat." Without waiting for a response, he closed his apartment door with a click.

Face heating up at the sight of his smile, Eren rushed into his apartment and dropped his groceries on the floor. "He...smiled at me." He whispered, heart beating a mile a minute. Even though it was barely a twitch of the mouth, the fact that a man as cold and blunt like Levi-san had even given him a smile felt like...felt like winning the lottery for some reason.

Burying his face in his hands, Eren screamed. What the hell was wrong with him.

 

* * *

 

 

Entering his apartment, he closed the door quietly and set his groceries on the floor of his kitchen. Meticulous and precise, he sorted out everything into their respective categories before placing them in the fridge or into the cabinets. He made sure to wipe down all the bottles with a wet wipe, pausing when he picked up the bottle of soy sauce.

The brat that had moved in next door had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. He knew what the kid had been trying to do; pretending to pick up the soy sauce for himself but really it was for him. All just to help him preserve his pride.

Levi snorted derisively and shook his head. He had known for a long time now that he was shorter than average, and it proved to be an annoying aspect of himself, especially when he was trying to reach up for things on shelves. Like at the supermarket.

Sighing, Levi packed all his new purchases away and headed for a bath. It had been a long day and he needed to feel clean, especially after hanging around a certain crazy doctor. They may be intelligent but they were absolutely disgusting; never picking up their trash or even caring to clean themselves properly. Just thinking about them made his skin crawl.

After a long bath, Levi walked to his bedroom in only a towel and picked out his sleepwear. Pulling on his sweatpants, his eyes strayed toward his balcony and he frowned when he noticed light spilling out from the balcony next to his. So the brat was back to "working" again so quickly. And after Levi told him to get some rest.

Shaking his head, Levi was about to head to bed when his phone suddenly rang. Unlike his neighbor's ringtone, his was the default tune that came with the phone. Picking up his phone, he narrowed his eyes at the caller ID before accepting. "What is it, Erwin?"

" _Levi. I was just on the phone with...an agent. How do you feel about composing for an upcoming anime?_ "

Levi snorted. "An anime? Are you shitting me? Do you think we're here to cater to otaku lowlives? I thought you'd know better as our manager."

" _I knew you would say that, but what if I told you this one might be special?_ "

He raised a brow. "How so?"

" _The answer may be a little closer than you think. Perhaps even on your bookshelf_."

Furrowing his brow, Levi walked out into his living room where his bookshelf was, and examined all the books on it. He had several different novels, ranging from classics like Frankenstein and Snow Country to contemporary works like 1Q84. He even had a few manga, all of them having been gifted to him by his crazy not-friend. 

His eyes drifted from top to bottom, pausing when he saw Volume 1 of a very special manga, and suddenly it clicked in his head. "...You're shitting me." He breathed out in shock.

Erwin chuckled. " _I am not 'shitting' you. I'll ask again._ "

" _How would you like to compose for an upcoming anime based on Shingeki no Kyojin? The very manga that inspired you?_ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this was a satisfying chapter after so long ;w; I'm trying to keep this story short but my biggest weakness is wanting to expand into detail orz
> 
> I would love to hear what you think! Comments are appreciated <3


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy new year!! My first update of 2019! So sorry for not updating in over a month ;A; It's been so hectic

 

 

_"I...I can do something right now..." Eren muttered, slowly bringing a hand to his mouth. His heart was pounding, sweat poured down his face, and his hands were clenched tightly on the reins of his horse. He could do something. He could...He could save them. No one else had to die._

_There was already a trail of dead bodies behind them, and the monster was quickly gaining on his small group. Her footsteps were loud, and he could feel the ground tremble underneath her size, even through his horse._

_He could stop her._

_"Eren! Don't!"_

_Gasping, he looked over to one of his comrades. He thought they might be staring at them with desperate eyes, but he couldn't really tell. There was no face, no distinctive features for him to recognize. It was like looking through a blurry lens that couldn't be wiped, no matter how hard he tried. Who are you, he wondered. Why are you important to me?_

_"Eren."_

_He turned his head to the front, where he can see a figure wearing a billowing cape with a winged emblem. The captain..?_

_"You can do it if you want...but don't you trust your comrades?" The captain asked, his voice calm and cool. It was a distinct contrast to the absolute chaos around them._

_So much screaming. So much blood._

_So many dead comrades._

_"Believe in us, Eren."_

_Taking a deep and shuddering breath, Eren closed his eyes and cried. "I BELIEVE!"_

_For a split second, he thought he could see the captain smile..._

_But soon, it was all for naught._

_The first one died unexpectedly. Murdered._

_Then the next, and the next, and the next._

_They were all gone in a flash, so quick that he could barely comprehend it. Dead because they were trying to protect him._

_His whole squad was gone and the reason was trying to capture him._

_It was his fault._

_No..._

_It was her fault._

_She had to pay._

_He wanted to kill her..!_

_"I'LL KILL YOU!"_

Gasping awake, Eren sat up in bed and held a hand to his head. His harsh breaths filled the bedroom, and it was the only thing he could hear over his thundering heart. Sweat covered his skin in a fine sheen, and soaked his bed sheets as well. The silence around him made it almost worse, as it emphasized how tumultuous he felt. 

Getting his breathing under control, Eren stared down at his hands. He could still feel the horse's reins, and later, his teeth. As always, his nightmares felt too real to be a dream. He could feel the coarse materials of his military uniform brushing against his skin, the violent rocking of the horse underneath him, and the cold wind of the plains leading to the tall forest.

The hot and steaming scent of freshly spilled blood. The blood of his comrades.

"They...They died for me." Eren croaked out. Dark spots appeared on his pajama pants, one after another, and he belatedly realized he was crying. Crying for the lives that were lost to keep him safe, and it was all for naught. Who were they? What did they mean to him, other than a life that had been lost unjustly? 

Sniffling, he wiped his tears away and looked out toward his balcony. The sky was a bright blue with light fluffy clouds, showing that it was definitely morning at the very least. What time was it?

Grasping for his phone on the night stand, Eren turned it on. 11:45AM. "Not too bad..." He mumbled, throwing off his covers and stumbling to his feet. He'll sketch out his dreams first, and then he'll figure out how it'll fit into the manga. 

They died for him. The least he could do was remember them.

Collapsing onto his work chair, he pulled out a new piece of paper and picked up his pencil. They traveled from the plains and into a forest, with trees that loomed far above them. The trunks were so thick that it would take weeks of hard work to carve down even one of them. They were so tall that they blocked out the sun, shadowing the forest floor. Perfect for using the gear in, but it also meant it was a great place for Titans to hide in. It also meant it was an ideal place to plan a trap, which the Commander likely did.

And so he drew.

He drew the abnormally large forest. He drew the soldiers that flew in on their gear, and the ones who rode in on their horses. He drew the squad that helped his main character, and he drew the captain who risked everything to protect him. 

He drew the one he coined as the Female Titan, a special Titan that had feminine features. She was grotesquely beautiful, with perfect physique but no skin to cover it, letting the world see her muscles and fat padding. She was a spy, a traitor, a girl who tried to fulfill her mission no matter the cost. 

She decimated almost a third of their forces before finally making it to the main character. She would crush them in her fist, under her foot. They were nothing but ants under her heel. 

The main character would feel helpless, with wide eyes and clenched teeth, but he remembered he was special too. He could fight her on equal grounds. 

His comrades don't want him to, they want him to trust them. The captain wants him to trust him. 

Sketching the last panel out, Eren let out a sigh and dropped his pencil. "But sometimes, circumstances will render that trust useless..." He murmured. "What will you do next? Who will be the next person who dies for you?"

The world will beat his main character down, but he will continue to fight. Fight for a freedom that may or may not exist.

All of a sudden, his phone rang, with No Name blasting out from the speaker. Picking up the call, Eren absentmindedly brushed away all the eraser shavings on his desk. "Hello?"

" _Erennnn!_ " Hange's familiar chipper voice echoed in his ear. " _You haven't checked in for over two weeks! Are you still alive?!_ "

"Oh!" A hand flew to his mouth and Eren blushed sheepishly. "Sorry! I've been busy with moving out, and then I had to catch up on the newest chapter to make the deadline, and-"

" _Gotcha, no worries! I just wanted to check in with you, make sure you're okay and all. I don't need to call an ambulance for a malnourished individual, do I?_ "

"No! No, I've been taking care of myself..." Sort of. He was slowly eating through all the groceries that Levi-san bought for him. It was kind of fun to research new recipes that used up his ingredients, but it ate into his work time. He really wanted to sketch out the rest of his story first, in case he regrets anything later. If that meant a missed meal every now and then (or every day like last week), then that was okay.

" _Any new dreams?_ "

"Oh, yeah." Eren slowly exhaled. "I had one last night, actually."

" _Oh? Do tell, do tell!_ "

Eren smiled, amused. "Should I? You know it's all going into the manga, right? The manga that you're so obsessed with?"

Hange laughed. " _Haha, that's true! I want to know, but then that would be spoiling, right? Oooo, I'm so excited now! What volume will this new dream be in?_ "

"Not sure yet..." Standing up, Eren walked toward his kitchen to make a late breakfast. "You'll just have to be patient."

" _Aww...I'm really happy you've found a way to cope with these dreams, you know?_ " Their tone became more somber. " _I remember when we first started, you looked so despondent and unmotivated to do anything. Your life wasn't really yours because you had to accommodate your dreams._ "

Eren smiled, bittersweet. "Yeah..." Sometimes, he was still like that. He still wondered why he had to have these dreams. Why he deserved to watch as countless people died around him, for him. What was the point of seeing all this when he didn't even know the people who were dying for him? Was it some sort of divine guilt? For shits and giggles?

" _But you've grown a lot since._ " Hange continued, their voice lightening up. " _You have a stable job now, and a rapidly growing fanbase! Did you know your books are selling out everywhere? I'd go into a bookstore and there would be a sign saying 'Shingeki no Kyojin' is sold out, and I can think to myself, 'I know the author! I know him and I'm so proud of him for turning a bad part of his life into something he can be proud of!_ '"

Touched, Eren felt his chest grow warm. "Hange-san..." He breathed out. "Thank you for giving me the idea in the first place. If it wasn't for you, I...I don't know what I would be doing right now. So...Thank you." Biting his lip, he tried to hold back his tears. His therapist really was the best.

" _That's what I'm here for, hehe._ " Eren swore he could hear Hange grin happily. " _I absolutely love your work, and I've been shilling it to my friends too! We all feel this weird connection to it, you know? There's just something about the art and the themes that really hit us somewhere._ "

Eren blinked. A connection to his work? He had heard it before from fans online, but hearing his therapist and friend mention it as well...He wondered. "I'm glad you all enjoy it, and I hope you look forward to more of my work." He automatically answered.

Hange burst out laughing. " _Hahaha! You sound like such a respectful robot! But, that's the life of a mangaka! Anything else new with you aside from potential spoilers?_ "

"It's a perfectly nice answer!" Eren grinned, cracking an egg with one hand while his coffee was getting ready. "And yes! I have big news actually! I was told that-" He stopped himself. Wait, he signed NDAs, didn't he? He couldn't talk about his manga becoming an anime, not until the first trailer dropped at least. "Uh...Well, I can't tell you." He ended lamely with a wince.

" _Whaaaaat?!_ " Hange whined. " _You built it up and now you'll deny me?! You're so mean, Eren!_ "

 "Sorry, I signed NDAs! I can't tell anyone outside of the company right now."

" _Hmm...Well, so long as no one else knows either, I guess it's fine._ " Hange relented reluctantly. " _Anyway, I shouldn't take up too much of your time so I'll let you go now. We gotta do lunch sometime! And remember to eat and sleep!_ " With a click, the call disconnected.

Letting out a fond sigh, Eren pocketed his phone and finished cooking breakfast. He was glad they didn't put up too much of a fuss. He couldn't wait until he could tell everyone the big news! 

Grinning, he dug right into his breakfast of eggs, lotus root, avocado, and rice, with a nice strong cup of coffee.

 

* * *

 

Making sure his shoes were on properly, Eren shouldered his messenger bag and pocketed his keys and phone before leaving his apartment. He chose a dark gray shirt with beige slacks today, along with an army green jacket. He also dabbed on some concealer to hide his dark circles. They usually weren't too bad, but they get so much worse after a nightmare.

Looking at his phone, it was around 1PM now, a good time to head to the office. There was another meeting today to finally confirm the voice actors, composer, and the animation team. Everything had to be approved by him, which meant he had the most paperwork to go through. It was tough but he would rather go through an ocean of paperwork than to leave it up to someone else. 

No one else would be able to understand what he needed this anime to be. 

Locking his door behind him, Eren perked up when he heard another door open and he looked to his right to see his favorite neighbor. "Ah, good afternoon, Levi-san!"

Levi looked up behind his slim glasses. He was dressed in a casual white button up with black slacks. Even dressed down like this, Eren couldn't help but think he still looked sharp and classy. Except, even with his slim glasses, Eren could still see the dark circles that were a constant underneath the man's piercing eyes.

"Afternoon." The man greeted him. "I see you're actually out in the world instead of being a shut-in."

Ignoring the sarcastic dig, Eren grinned. "Yep! I finished my deadline for this month so I can take it a little easier, but now I have a ton of meetings to go to."

"You have _meetings_?" The disbelief was apparent in his neighbor's face. "What do you actually _do_?"

"Um..." Eren lightly scratched his cheek. He didn't really like telling people what he did. When he first started, people would laugh at him for being a Mangaka. Then when his manga began publishing, no one ever believed he was the author and artist. At this point, he just kept it vague. "I'm just a guy who can do the majority of his work at home, I guess. I could do it at the office but it's not mandatory."

"Huh..." Levi frowned faintly. "Well, it doesn't really matter in the end. So long as you're not a corpse decaying inside our apartment building, you can do whatever you want for your job."

"Whatever I want? What if I was a yakuza?" Eren joked.

"Then you keep your family matters at the office and away from the building." Levi answered without a pause. "I'm not allowing any dead bodies on the premises, you got that?"

Eren gaped at him. The hell? Who just accepted someone being a yakuza member like that? "Wait, how do you know yakuza families have offices?"

Levi raised a brow and gave him a flat stare. "You didn't think money just poured in from all the 'illegal' activities, right?" He quoted sarcastically. "The yakuza often work with the police and the government, and them having offices is a good front for the business. It's a legal illegal partnership. Everyone knows that."

" _I_ didn't..." Eren answered weakly. 

"Guess you're still a brat then." Levi faintly smirked, gesturing for him to follow along to the elevators. Eren awkwardly did. "In any case, I don't care what you do so long as it doesn't affect this apartment building. I need a clean and quiet place to come back to, and Mike wouldn't appreciate it either." 

"R-Right." Eren squirmed in place. His neighbor knew their landlord well enough to be on a first name basis? "Um, how have you been?"

"Fine." Levi answered shortly. "Haven't slept much."

"Why? If you don't mind me asking." Eren added quickly.

Levi hesitated, just as the elevator dinged and the doors slid open. They walked in, pressed for the ground floor, and waited. "...Nightmares, I guess." He answered after a few moments. "I get them from time to time."

Eren stared at him curiously. "Really? Me too. Well, I get them no matter what if I sleep at night, so I usually end up sleeping during the day if need be." He rambled. "Is that why you wear glasses? To hide your dark circles?"

The older man gave narrowed his eyes at him and Eren could feel a cold sweat drip down the back of his neck. "Erm, sorry..?" The young Mangaka weakly apologized.

Levi didn't move his gaze away, and a moment later, his expression softened and he let out a sigh. "I wear them because-"

The ding of the elevator cut them off and the doors slid open on the third floor, revealing another tenant who was waiting to descend the building. Walking into the elevator with an "excuse me," Jean paused and gaped. "Eren?!"

"Jean?!" Eren exclaimed at the same time, eyes wide. "What are you doing in this building?"

"What am I doing? What are _you_ doing here?" Jean shot back. "I live here, obviously."

"Wha?!" Eren gaped in disbelief. He did?! They were on the third floor now, so obviously Eren should've known if he lived here- Wait. "You live in 302, don't you?" A sly grin spread on his face. "You still live with your mom?"

"Oh screw you, man-" Jean began with a scowl when a hand reached out and yanked him into the elevator. Levi gave him a dark glare and pointed his thumb toward the elevator panel that had been repeatedly telling them to move away from the doors.

"Shut up so I can actually get somewhere this century." Levi admonished harshly while taking out a bottle of hand sanitizer. "Unlike you two, I have places to be."

"Sorry, Levi-san." Eren immediately apologized, and elbowed Jean when he opened his mouth to argue. "Shut up, Horseface." He hissed. "The man's busy, and so are we."

Grumbling, his marketing manager snapped his mouth shut with a glower. "Sorry." He ground out.

The rest of the elevator ride, all twenty seconds of it, was filled with an uncomfortable and awkward silence as the two younger men stood on one side while the older man looked as if he was moments away from murdering them. 

When the doors finally slid open on the ground floor, Jean was the first to dart out, but not before giving Eren an awkward bow and a muttered "See you at the office, Sensei."

Eren waved him off, an uncomfortable frown on his face, and turned to his neighbor. "Sorry again, Levi-san." He apologized sincerely. "I didn't know he actually lived in the building. I guess when I was giving out gifts, I ended up meeting his mom instead of him."

Levi stared up at him with a raised brow. "Did he just bow to you..? Who the hell does that in this day and age? Don't tell me you actually _are_ yakuza and you're his captain or something..."

"Eh?!" Eren frantically waved his hands in front of him. "N-No! That was just a joke! I'm not affiliated with the yakuza!" His exclamation echoed loudly in the building lobby and he winced. Turning his head slightly, he hesitantly eyed around and saw the building manager and landlord, Zacharias-san, give him a raised brow under his mop of straw blond hair.

"Really, I'm not..." Eren feebly denied, unable to resist the urge to cover his red face with his hands.

Levi snorted. "Yeah, I can tell. No self-respecting yakuza would be an innocent bumbling idiot like you."

Eren pulled down his hands to pout. "I'm not innocent nor am I bumbling!"

"But you don't deny you're an idiot." Levi pointed out, lightly smirking when Eren sputtered out his denials. "I wasn't lying, though. I've got places to be, so I'll see you around whenever."

"Ah right, have a good day, Levi-san!" Eren waved with a somewhat shy smile.

Nodding softly, Levi strolled toward the entrance, the building manager following him right after. Blinking, Eren wondered if they were going to the same place together. Shaking his head with a sigh, he started toward the front doors as well to head to the office. "Wait til I tell Armin I got mistaken for a yakuza..." He mumbled to himself with a laugh.

 

* * *

 

A drum beat, a deep bass sound that pounded in tune with their blood. 

A guitar riff, screaming in a pitch that echoed the wavelength of their souls.

A low voice that sang out the words that they couldn't convey through their hearts.

Lights flashed, sweat dripped, hair slicked. The three of them performed their newly written song together, pouring their blood, sweat, and tears. Their hearts pounded as one, their emotions critically high, yet no one else would be able to tell due to the pure white bandages that covered their eyes from the world. 

_Chains that bind us, walls that hide us, it's all a cage to keep us in._

_Ignorance runs deep in the masses, believing they are safe when really..._

_Everyone is prey._

_Prey to hunger, prey to oppression, prey to the real monsters._

_The pigs that lie in their own shit will never fight for you._

_Take your swords, take your heart,_

_and fight for the freedom that is rightly yours!_

He ended the song with a strangled breath, his chest rising violently up and down. Slowly, the drums and cymbals die out while the last notes on the guitar faded away. The small studio that housed their instruments was now filled with silence when moments before, it was a torrent of sounds and emotions bleeding together.

Wetting his mouth, he tugged at the bandages around his eyes. "How was that?" 

" _Perfect._ " Erwin answered him from outside the recording room, using the microphone built in. " _We can clean it up and it will be ready for release._ "

"Good..." Sighing, he let the bandages fall around his shoulders and he reached for a bottle of water. "We'll be much busier from here on out."

"Woo!" Their friend slung off their guitar with a grin. "Busy indeed! I can't believe you actually accepted the offer! Who would've thought _we_ of all people would end up recording for the official soundtrack?!" Their eyes sparkled behind their glasses. "What a dream come true!"

"Yeah..." He answered quietly. He could hardly believe it himself. Hell, he didn't believe it at all until Erwin showed him all the documents and NDAs that came with the job offer.

Their last band member and the tallest man in the studio took a seat next to him. "...You're sure about accepting this?" He asked with a sniff of his nose, wrinkling at the scent of their sweat. "Is this really what you want to do?"

"I have to." He answered shortly. "There's no one else out there who can do a better job than us. We all agreed that the manga wasn't just some standard otaku bullshit. It means something to us all."

"So long as you're sure, Levi." The guitarist grinned lightheartedly. "Two years ago, I wouldn't ever believe that we would form a band just because I gave you the first volume as a gift."

"Neither would I, but Hange, you've always been tenacious about this series." The drummer remarked with a small smirk. "I gotta say, it's been fun."

Opening the door to the recording room, Erwin handed them all towels. "You were the last person I would have expected to be in a band, Mike." He smiled, amused. "And I as well. To think, we're finally pursuing Levi's dream."

Looking up from his now empty water bottle, Levi softened his expression. "I wouldn't have come this far without you guys...Thanks."

"I'll admit, it's been fun being a manager." Erwin rubbed his chin. "I barely have to do anything except book you this studio."

Maybe that'll change, Levi thought to himself. His neighbor was pretty adamant on seeing No Name live at least once in his life.

"By the way, Levi," Mike began, catching his attention. "Is there something you'd like to tell us?"

Levi frowned. "What do you mean?"

"You were rather close with that new neighbor of yours. Jaeger-kun, right?" Mike lightly smirked. "He even sent you off like a housewife."

"Oh?" Erwin raised one of his thick eyebrows. "Has Levi found himself a boyfriend?"

Hange blinked. "'Jaeger'?" They muttered.

Levi scowled and lightly kicked the taller man, ignoring his shout of pain. "Shut up, he's just a brat who's a fan. Not that I told him who I was." And if it was up to him, he'll never find out.

Hange tilted their head, eyes lit up when everything _clicked_ together. "Huh...That's pretty funny." They murmured to themself with a snicker. "To think, little Eren would be asking us to play for his anime...That must be what he signed those NDAs for." They rubbed their hands together gleefully. "Heeeee, I can't wait to see his face when he realizes who his beloved L is."

"The hell are you muttering to yourself about, four-eyes?" Levi called out, irritated. "C'mon, we're going to write some new songs. They need to fit the anime _perfectly_ , you got that?"

Snickering, Hange saluted him with a hand clenched to their chest over their heart. "Yes sirrrr!" With a jump, they rushed out of the recording room and into the small lounge area, Mike and Erwin following them after at a more sedate pace.

Alone in the recording room, Levi's hand ghosted over his mic almost reverently. "...If I can meet the author," He whispered. "Perhaps I'll figure out why I have those nightmares..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song is fake lol I made it up
> 
> \---
> 
> Announcement!!
> 
> I'm not sure if you've noticed but I changed my username to "AristoMuse" since I've been using my old name for far too many things. It was getting really cluttered and I felt I needed to separate some stuff, so I'm sorry if you saw my username and was confused!
> 
> Also, I made a twitter that's also named AristoMuse where you can follow me for fic updates, art dumps, and general fandom talk! Please follow me if you'd like :D I mostly draw Eren right now hehe. (I know most fanfic writers use tumblr but that site has baffled me since 2009 so I'm sorry but twitter is alls I've gots)


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been gone from this fic for 3 whole months, wow. I am so sorry, guys. The other fic just took priority and if you read that one too, you'll know I was very busy lol but my workload is decreasing so hopefully that means I can finish up this fic soon!

"So..." Armin twirled the straw in his drink. "Your neighbor thinks you're yakuza?"

Eren nodded glumly, hunched over in his seat so his chin rested on the table. "He was joking, but then stupid Horseface bowed to me in the lobby and now he might not think it's a joke..."

They were sat at their favorite Mos Burger near their old neighborhood. They made a habit to come here every two weeks to keep each other updated on their lives. Eren was always busy drawing, especially nowadays, but he wasn't the only one who was short on time. Armin was also swamped with his classes and job. He was working on his Masters degree in archaeology with a focus on European history. It was actually through him that Eren was able to create the setting in his manga.

"I still can't believe Jean lives under you," Armin chuckled. "It's the height of irony."

" _I_ can't believe he still lives with his mom," Eren snickered, taking a fry from his tray. "Even _I_ moved out."

Armin paused and deadpanned. "Eren. You just moved out _two weeks_ ago. You really don't have room to talk."

Eren opened his mouth to argue but stopped and pouted. "Shut up," He mumbled, stuffing more fries into his mouth. "Anyway, enough about Horseface. How're your classes going?"

Armin immediately brightened. "Good! I'm finishing up my last classes this year, and I actually received an offer from an excavation team in Germany!"

Eren gasped and grinned. "That's awesome! I'm so happy for you! When are you going?"

"I'll be heading out, well..." Armin faltered and looked away. "As soon as I finish up my classes, actually."

The smile froze on Eren's face. As soon as classes finished? That wasn't until next year, but still. It wasn't like they were going to stop being friends, but Armin would be traveling all over Europe, digging to his heart's content, while he would have to stay here. He didn't have any real vacation time except during New Years and Golden Week. 

It felt like...like he was going to lose his best friend.

Eren jumped when a small but rough hand landed on his, and he looked up to see Armin's concerned frown. "Eren, I can tell what you're thinking; We'll always be friends. I know we haven't been able to spend much time together these past few years, what with you being busy with your manga and me being busy with classes, but we've always been together, remember?" He smiled softly. "And we'll be together for even longer."

Eren laughed weakly but he was smiling again. "Did you pull that from an anime?" He teased. "You're like, one step away from calling us nakama."

Armin rolled his eyes. "You're the Mangaka here, not me. If anything, you should be pulling out these cheesy lines. In any case, we'll always be able to video chat, and I'll be back! Excavations don't usually last more than a few months, so just think of it as me shutting myself in to study for finals."

"I got it, I got it." Eren brushed him off. "I'm not gonna start bawling at the thought of you leaving. Still, you know what this means, right?" He grinned. "You should move in with me!"

"Wait, what?" Armin sputtered around his drink and picked up a napkin to wipe his mouth. "Move in with you?"

Eren nodded excitedly. "Yeah! If you're gonna be gone for months at a time, you shouldn't be paying rent for a place you're not really gonna use. I have a spare room that I was going to turn into my work room, but I ended up putting my stuff in my bedroom anyway so that my bed's close by. You can take that room!"

"I- This is a little sudden..." His best friend blinked, overwhelmed. "I'll have to clear it with my university dorm, and I don't want to bum off of you. I should at least pay part of the rent..."

"Which means you're already thinking of how to do this?" Eren grinned slyly. "C'mon, it'll be cool! It'll be the university dorm experience we never got to share!"

Armin snorted softly. "That's only because you never went to Uni." Letting out a slow sigh, he smiled. "Sure, why not. I can at least make sure you're taking care of yourself when you're nearing a deadline."

Eren immediately scowled and dropped his burger onto the tray with a plop. "Oh c'mon. Did Mikasa rat me out? I'm getting better, okay! In fact, just yesterday, I ate grilled squash and toriyaki that I made myself," He bragged and crossed his arms with an indignant hmph. "I don't need people to look out for me."

"When did you start to like squash? You _never_ eat vegetables."

"I-I don't, but Levi-san made me buy it, so..."

"Wait, who's Levi?" Armin immediately asked. "Is this someone at your job?"

"Nope, he's one of my neighbors. He's, um, kind of mean and crabby but I can tell he's a really nice person deep inside!" Eren quickly defended when he noticed his friend begin to frown. "I've bumped into him a few times- quite literally the first time- and he seems like a quiet guy who likes his space. Oh, and cleanliness."

Armin stared at him for a long moment, almost a full minute, before he opened his mouth. "You're...rather attentive about him." He remarked cautiously. "I've never heard you speak about anyone like this."

Reddening, Eren distracted himself with his burger. "...Well," He mumbled. "He's really handsome. And his voice is pretty, um, nice."

"Eren...Do you like this man?"

"Like, like like him?"

Armin resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Are you physically attracted to him? Does seeing him or talking to him increase your heartrate and excite you sexually-" A hand reached over and slapped over his mouth.

"Shut up!" Eren hissed, his face as red as the ketchup on his fries. "I don't like him like that! ...I think."

Removing his hand, Armin raised a brow. "You think? Well, this is new."

"New?" Eren questioned.

"When was the last time you ever liked somebody?"

"Uh-"

"Never! Which is my point!" Armin smiled, exasperated. "Eren, you've never liked _anyone_ before except that guy from that band you like, and he doesn't count because he's an idol and totally unreachable. Is this Levi your first real crush?"

Eren looked down and frowned at his lap. _Did_ he have a crush on Levi-san? The man was definitely good looking, but it wasn't just his looks, or even his voice. Everything about him was just so mysterious and intriguing. He was like an intricate puzzle that he could spend hours trying to solve and get nowhere close to finishing. He still didn't know what he did for work, what he liked aside from cleanliness, or anything. All he knew was the man was impeccably dressed at all hours and was more than the crabby facade he projected. 

Every time he bumped into the older man, he wanted his approval. He wanted some sort of positive reaction, even as simple as him replying to his questions, or even being gifted a rare and barely noticeable smile. Levi-san was a handsome and multilayered man that drew his attention no matter what, and the thought that the man might even be interested in him sent his heart racing.

Armin watched his friend, seeing the cogs working in his head, and smiled fondly. "I think that's a yes."

Eren blushed and picked up his burger. "...Shut up and eat your food."

Maybe he really did..?

 

 

* * *

 

 

Finishing up another long meeting at the office, Eren went home. He ate a big meal, bathed, all the works, to prepare himself. "Ahh..." He sighed, drying his hair with a towel as he walked into his bedroom. He yelped when he almost tripped over an unopened box but caught himself at the last moment. "Jeez, I still haven't unpacked everything?" He grumbled, crouching down to open the box. 

He blanched when he saw it was his computer. "Oh. Wow, how did I forget about this thing?" Hefting it up, he placed it on his desk- the one that wasn't used for drawing- and plugged in all the wires. Turning on the power, he checked his emails, scrolled through fan forums for Shingeki, and made a new post on his blog. It was a blog made for the author of Shingeki no Kyojin, and while he made sure to never reveal his full name, leaving it as E.J., it was still like a personal diary that he shared with his fans.

"I moved to a new place..." He typed with a small smile. "It's recently built so I'm excited about the new appliances. Everything is really modern and clean. I bet the captain from Shingeki would approve. My neighbors are nice, and funnily enough, I found out one of my co-workers live below me! We're working hard right now, and I just submitted a new chapter a couple days ago. Please look forward to it." 

Clicking enter, Eren was about to turn off his computer when his phone dinged with a new notification. He took it out of his pocket and gasped so loud, the sound proof walls might not have been able to disguise it.

"Notification: No Name subscription letter - new information has been posted on our site."

"Are you serious?!" Eren almost screamed in glee, and immediately opened a new tab and typed in No Name's official site. It was a mostly black site with silver accents, and was simple yet elegant in design. There was a short bio on the side, their discography, and a section for news. 

Smack dab at the top was the new information, and Eren felt his heart leap when he finally registered what it said. "No Name...Live?" He breathed out in awe. 

"No Name live at Club Recon on 7.5! The one and only live this year.

Tickets are available right now for fan club members only.

Non fan club members can order after a week.

Kneel for us."

Eren had never clicked on a link so fast in his _life_. "Holy shit holy shit holy shit..." He chanted, disbelief, awe, and happiness all combining together, resulting in him being a giddy mess. Was he finally going to catch them live?! This was going to be a dream come true! 

The ticket site took a while to load- probably because other people were trying to reserve their own tickets- and he kept getting an error when he went to check out, which made him want to tear his hair out in frustration, but finally. Finally.

He had gotten a ticket to No Name.

Eren collapsed into his chair and slowly breathed out, still trying to wrap his head around the fact that No Name was finally having a live, the only one this year, and he was going.

He was going to see No Name.

His eyes widened.

_He was going to see L in person._

"YES!" Eren screamed for real this time, fist pumping into the air over and over. Jumping up and down, he threw himself onto his bed with a plop and hugged his pillow tightly to his chest. "Holy shit, I'm going to see L!" He squeaked, grinning so hard that his cheeks hurt. "I'm going to see L in person! I'm going to see L perform!" He gasped loudly when a thought came to him. "What if L sees _me_?! I'll be in the crowd, and-and-and he'll have his eyes covered, but there's no way those bandages block _all_ his vision, so he can probably see a little bit. What if he sees me..." He reddened and screamed into his pillow. "L will know I exist!"

His phone pinged with a text message and he peered at it.

Jean: Dude, what are you doing up there?!

Jean: It sounds like you're jumping around and stuff.

Jean: Can you not. It's like 1AM.

Eren blushed in embarrassment and quickly typed in a reply. "I guess only the walls are soundproof and not the ceilings or floors..." He mumbled. Did Jean hear him scream, too?

Eren: Got some news. I'll stop.

Jean: Thanks. I'll see you at the next meeting.

A meeting that won't happen for a while. Good. Then he can avoid the stupid horseface or else he'll tease him about his "fanboying."

Calming down from his high, Eren scooted off his bed and sat down in front of his drawing desk. Now that most of the planning has been completed with the anime, he can focus on the manga again. The No Name concert wasn't going to happen for another two months, so realistically, he should be working instead of losing his mind over seeing L in person. 

"Get it together, Eren..." He slapped his cheeks and took a deep breath. "Focus on your job."

The next chapter wasn't due for another three weeks but with Golden Week coming up, he wanted to push out two chapters before his vacation. It might kill him, but he was going to take care of himself this time. He had food in the fridge, a fully charged phone, and put on alarms for naps. Plus, he knew Mikasa was going to come check up on him sooner or later.

"All right..." Eren breathed out in front of his desk.

Paper, check.

Pencils, check.

Pens, check.

Ruler, check.

Erasers, check.

A pot of coffee as well as four cans of energy drinks with a whole case in the fridge, check.

He was ready.

Cracking his knuckles, Eren stuffed his ears with earbuds blasting No Name and got to work. At first, everything was fine. He made sure to take breaks for food, water, and the bathroom. He even listened to one of his alarms to take a nap in the afternoon. 

Then...

 

* * *

  **Two weeks later**

 

He pressed the doorbell again for the 10th time and waited.

And waited.

When five minutes passed and still no one had opened the door, Levi scowled. "Don't tell me he actually did die," He muttered, pressing down on the doorbell without letting go. He could hear the sound play endlessly within the apartment like an annoying alarm, and still. 

No answer.

Letting out an aggravated sigh, Levi looked down at his watch. 7:42AM. The brat should be awake right now, if his horrid sleep schedule of sleeping during the day could be believed.

It had been two weeks since he had last seen him, and even though he didn't want to admit it- because caring for his new neighbor was something he _really_ didn't need in his life- he was worried. He could see from his balcony that Eren hadn't turned off his bedroom light in days like last time, and from what Eren had told him, he worked in his bedroom. So either the brat was too focused on his work again, or he wanted to waste his electricity.

When the door refused to budge open, Levi let his hand drop and with a dark scowl, marched toward the stairs. "Fuck it."

Taking the stairs down to the ground floor, he broke into the landlord's office- Mike gave him a spare key in case he wasn't there- and found a copy for apartment 402. Going back up using the elevator, it stopped on the third floor and the doors opened to show that tall asshole with the dumb look on his face.

"Hey, you're that rude shorty who was with Eren!" Jean blurted out before slapping a hand over his mouth, mortified. "Uh, sorry..."

Levi glared up at him. Fucking tall asshole just had to comment on his less-than-stellar height. Of _fucking_ course. "And you're the brat's lackey," He snapped. "You know where he is?"

Jean bristled but was taken aback by the question. "Who, you mean Eren? He should be at home. I haven't heard him move in a while and he hasn't been at the office."

Levi narrowed his eyes behind his slim glasses. The brat worked at an office? A nice office too, judging by this horse face's nicely pressed suit. "Right, you live under him. You haven't heard _anything_?" Could he be out and just left the light on?

"Well..." Jean pursed his lips. "I did hear a loud thump last night around, I wanna say, 2AM? It woke me up, but I fell back asleep and forgot until now."

Levi frowned, concern welling up in his chest. A loud thump? He hadn't heard anything on his side, but the walls were soundproof, so he wouldn't have. Could something have happened to him? What if he fainted, or had some sort of health scare? Eren _seemed_ healthy- aside from his sleeping habits- but still... "Thanks." 

He was going to switch out of the elevator to let Jean take it down, but Jean reached out to him. "Hey, listen. If you're worried about Eren, don't be," He stated. "He's always had weird sleeping habits, even in high school. I've heard from Armin that Eren stays up for days at a time to work. It's admirable to know Sensei works so hard..." He muttered to himself, but Levi heard him anyway. "Eren probably fell asleep on the floor."

Levi furrowed his brow. High school? Armin? He had so many questions, but...should he care about all this? Why the hell was he even checking in on his neighbor of all people? Why was he spending his own precious time and energy making sure the younger man was okay? 

He could argue to himself that he really didn't want a corpse rotting in the building, but...that might not be the only reason.

"Right." Levi nodded to the other man and headed for the stairs, leaving the other to stare after him in bewilderment.

He went up three stairs at a time, making it back to 402 in less than a minute. The door had stayed shut. Inserting the spare key, he turned the knob and opened the door to his young neighbor's apartment.

The first thing he noted was the shoe cupboard. It held only a few pairs of shoes, all male's, so he guessed they all belonged to Eren. There were only two pairs of slippers set out, with enough space for three. He didn't expect more than two guests at a time, Levi surmised.

Stepping into the apartment, he closed the door behind him and slipped off his expensive loafers to replace them with a pair of slippers. He slowly walked in, looking around with interest.

The apartment was identical to his in layout, but it was...bare. The walls were left as cream white. The living room had one single couch and coffee table straight from MUJI, and a flat screen TV mounted on the wall with a PS4 below it. The kitchen was spotless like a furniture showroom, and a small dining table that could fit, at most, two people. The only thing that showed wear was the coffee machine and bean grinder, both clearly lovingly used.

It...wasn't what he expected from a twenty-two year old bachelor living alone for the first time. 

Levi was almost impressed by the lack of mess, until he reached over to graze his fingertips over the dining table and felt dust build up. He scowled down at his now dirty fingers. "Disgusting," He remarked. 

Washing his hands in the kitchen, he headed further into the apartment, passing by the bathroom- he took a quick look inside and found it to be adequately clean- and a completely bare bedroom. Why didn't Eren use this room as his office? Why did he use his bedroom?

Levi stopped at the end of the hallway in front of a closed door. It was the last place he had yet to check other than the storage closet, so the brat had to be in here. As a precaution, however, he decided to knock. "Oi," He called out.

No answer, as expected at this point. If the brat didn't wake up to the sound of him holding down the doorbell, then a measly knock wouldn't do either.

Rolling his eyes, Levi turned the doorknob. "I'm coming in," He stated, pulling the door open. 

The first thing he saw was that the light was on, even though it was morning and the sun was shining through the balcony glass doors. The second thing he saw was a perfectly made bed that showed no signs of being used recently. The covers were tucked in correctly, almost military in style, which was strange but almost comforting to see.

The third thing he noticed with a jolt of horror was the lanky body slumped over on the floor, dark brown hair spilling out of its messy bun.

"Eren!" Levi immediately rushed over and shook him. "Oi, Eren! Don't tell me you actually died..." He cursed under his breath. "Wake up!"

He turned the younger man over onto his back, holding his upper body up. Eren's head rolled back, his hair falling away from his haggard face to reveal eyes clenched and a mouth twisted with anguish. "No...No...No..." Levi heard him mutter under his breath.

Levi furrowed his brow. The younger man's face was a mess. Extremely dark circles haunted the area under his eyes, his skin was oily from not being washed, and facial hair was starting to grow. His hair was even worse, a tangled oily mess that had been combed through from frustrated hands and stress.

"No..." Eren moaned. The sound was full of pain and frustration.

"A nightmare..?" Levi murmured. Just like his own, but so much worse. At least he could wake from his.

He gently shook the younger man. "Eren, wake up," He commanded. "Wake up!"

Eren trembled in his arms. "No no no, she can't win...I have..." He muttered frantically in his sleep. "I have to fight...I have to fight."

Grimacing, Levi rolled with it. "Yeah, you have to fight," He agreed, pulling him closer in case he tried to lash out unconsciously. "Fight it, Eren! Get off your ass and wake the fuck up!"

Eren shook his head violently. "I'll kill her, I'll kill her, I'll kill her!" He yelled with all his might. His eyes snapped open a second later with a desperate gasp, and his chest heaved for breath.

Levi warily reached out with a hand, placing it gently on the younger man's face. "Brat..?" He called out hesitantly. Was he really awake? Who was it that he wanted to kill? Those were rather dark thoughts from a guy who looked like a cute bumbling mess most of the time.

Unfocused green eyes slowly turned to him, and what he said next had Levi's blood turning to ice in his veins.

"Captain..?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Eren's couch](https://img.muji.net/img/item/4550182011456_1260.jpg)
> 
>  
> 
> [Eren's coffee table](https://img.muji.net/img/item/4547315892464_1260.jpg)
> 
> [ Eren's kitchen ](http://q-xx.bstatic.com/images/hotel/max500/208/20844699.jpg)


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i love updating at 6am l m a o sorry for the long wait!!

_"Eren, you have to fight!"_

_He had to fight, but it was so hard. Heavy wooden beams and stone had rained down on him, crushing him in place. His whole body pulsed with pain- at least, the parts he could still feel. Something warm and wet pooled underneath him, staining his clothes and the ground in a sickly red._

_"Eren, get up! You're the only one who can match her!"_

_But he was pinned down, and growing so tired. The tips of his body had begun to grow numb..._

_"Why do you fight in the first place?! Remember, Eren!"_

_Because he was born free._

_He had to fight._

_He had to fight._

_He had to fight..!_

_"Eren. Get up. You have to fight her."_

_Captain..._

"-What did you just call me..?"

Huh?

Blinking once, twice, a couple of times to wet his sandpaper-like eyes, Eren made a small noise when he realized he was staring at the creamy-white walls of his bedroom. Oh, he was awake. When did that happen? Wait, when did he fall asleep?

Crap, he had fallen asleep at night, didn't he. That was why he had his dreams again. 

Bringing up a stiff arm, he rubbed his eyes of crust and groaned. There was an insistent pounding in his head right atop of his ears, and his bladder was _screaming_ at him. Pushing his hand against the floor, he tried to get up but suddenly lost his balance and flopped back down again. "Ow..." he muttered, his oily hair falling around his face like a curtain.

"...Oi. What did you just call me?"

Jumping at the unexpected voice, Eren whirled around- and immediately had to shut his eyes to stave away the dizziness. Squinting his eyes open, he stared at his guest. The guest that he had no recollection of letting in. "Uh...Levi-san..?" he voiced hesitantly, blinking a couple times to affirm the man's existence.

Yep, he was still inside his apartment. His neighbor, for some reason, was inside his _bedroom_.

Damn.

And he didn't have any memory of it?

Eren had never been so disappointed and mortified with himself.

Levi stared at him with a strange expression, one that Eren had never seen on the older man's face before. His brows were pulled together, but not in anger, almost like confusion. For once, he wasn't wearing his glasses, so he had a clear view of those silver eyes that were wide open and shining with...shock? Worry? Hope?

Levi opened his mouth again. "You called me something, right when you woke up..." he prompted, giving him an expected look but with his breath held.

Eren frowned and tilted his head. "I did..?" he whispered with a hoarse voice, clearing it afterward with a painful noise. "Sorry, I don't really remember..." He didn't really remember anything except the urge to keep pushing himself with work. 

The man's tentatively hopeful expression had fallen, making Eren's heart clench at the thought of disappointing him, but it was immediately pulled into a more irritated frown. "When was the last time you actually slept?" Levi questioned. He wrinkled his nose. "When was the last time you even _touched_ water? The state of your hair, your skin, your _beard_. You're fucking filthy."

Slowly blinking, Eren lifted up an arm and took a whiff of his armpit- and promptly had to hold in the urge to gag. Oh god, he stunk to high heaven. "I- uh...I showered like...a couple days ago..?" he weakly responded.

He didn't even know if that was true. He did know he had taken _a_ bath sometime, but then work became more important and he...forgot. Again.

Levi gave him a look that communicated just how disgusted he was by that answer. "...Wash up," he commanded, getting up on his feet. "I'll make you something to eat since you've completely lost all sense of autonomy."

"Wha-" Eren opened his mouth to argue because he was totally a fully functioning adult that could take care of himself, thank you very much- but Levi glared down at him and he felt a shiver go up his spine. "O-Okay..."

He tried to get up again, stumbling to his feet, but the second he took a step, his knee gave out on him and he would've had a hard makeout session with the floor if two hands didn't grip him up.

"You're as weak as a newborn goat..." Levi muttered. Wrapping an arm around his waist, Levi placed his arm over his shoulders. "Here, I'll help you to the bathroom before you shit yourself."

"Th-Thank you...?" Eren weakly answered, his face red with embarrassment. 

It took a bit of maneuvering since his hallway wasn't wide enough to fit two fully grown men. Eren couldn't fight back the furious blush that covered his ragged face. Even though Levi was almost a foot shorter than him, he had no problems supporting him whatsoever. His hand was set firmly at his waist, and he could feel the strength of his grip through his thin shirt. The arm Eren had over the shorter man's shoulder was in the perfect position to feel the firmness of his upper back. His hand was even conveniently hanging over his chest.

Was it his fatigue, or was it the close proximity to the more mature and handsome man? Because Eren felt pretty lightheaded right now.

As soon as they got to the bathroom, Levi kicked the door open and promptly dropped him on top of the toilet. "Try not to die while you're taking a dump," he advised. "Or drown in the bath. Make sure to wash behind your balls, too."

"Oh c'mon!" Eren shrieked from embarrassment and slammed the door shut. Leaning against the door, Eren gnawed on his lower lip and listened as the footsteps faded away into the direction of the kitchen. 

Sighing, he slumped down and grudgingly went about his business: he relieved himself, took at least two showers, and shaved off the beard he had acquired, all without slipping more than twice. All the while, he couldn't help but wonder.

Why was Levi here? Did he really think he had died inside his own apartment? It was nice of the older man to check in on him, though. He hadn't thought that would ever happen in this lifetime. Levi always seemed so...untouchable to him. Like a man who was so self-assured and impeccably dressed that Eren felt like a bumbling teenager around him. Plus, he had only known the man for a little over a month, and that was definitely not enough time to develop any sort of relationship beyond neighbors. 

He'd also been isolated for more than half of that month, so they really didn't know each other beyond their names.

Brushing his teeth after shaving, Eren stared at himself in the mirror, specifically at the dark circles that stood out like purple-black bruises under his eyes. "Maybe I should stop staying up so often..." Sighing, he rinsed out his toothpaste and patted his face dry with a towel. "Maybe it's a good thing Levi-san found me-"

He froze.

 _How_ did Levi get into his apartment? 

Blanching, Eren patted down himself before belatedly realizing that his keys wouldn't be in his sweatpants, they would be on the shoe cabinet near his door, and secondly, he wasn't even wearing said sweatpants because they were dirty from days of wear. In fact, he hadn't brought any clean clothes with him.

Did he have to walk out with just a towel..? It wouldn't be the first time he had done that; going to an onsen meant seeing other naked people, but...this was _Levi_.

Clenching his fists, Eren wrapped the towel securely around his hips and slowly opened the door. He glanced out and took a few steps out, immediately turning in the direction of his room.

"Hey, you didn't die in the bath, right- Oh."

Freezing at the other man's voice, Eren slowly turned around, eyes wide, heart pumping a kilometer a minute, to see Levi standing in the opposite side of the hallway. His neighbor had put on the white-and-brown striped apron his mom had gifted him when he moved out, which coincidentally complimented his black shirt and slacks. His slim silver glasses did nothing to hide the raised brows and appraising eyes.

Levi blatantly looked him up and down, and slowly nodded. "...Not bad," he remarked, almost appreciatively.

All Eren could do was squeak like a mouse. Running into his bedroom, he slammed the door behind him and placed his hands over his face.

Why?!

 

* * *

 

 

Sitting at his small dining table a few minutes later, Eren squirmed uncomfortably in his chair while occasionally glancing up at the intruder-slash-guest that was busying around his kitchen. "Erm...Can I ask how you got in here?" he meekly broached the topic.

"Broke into Mike's office to get a spare key," Levi responded nonchalantly while putting the finishing touches on their breakfast. 

Eren stared, slack-jawed. "You- You broke into the landlord's office? Why?"

Levi rolled his eyes. "Don't ask stupid questions. Here." He placed the two plates on the table and took a seat as well.

Eren frowned. "It's not a stupid question. I'm sorry if this is presumptuous, but you don't seem like the kind of guy who would go so far out of his way for someone like me."

The other man raised a brow. "Oh? And what kind of guy am I then, since you know me so well?"

Opening his mouth, Eren was about to speak when the unmistakable, mouth-watering scent of food wafted up to his nose.

He looked down at his plate and saw that Levi had served him an omurice with some roasted seaweed on the side, as well as bamboo shoots and chicken. The egg had been cooked to perfection; firm enough to be a layer, but soft and fluffy enough to be eaten without any difficulty. The ketchup was squeezed on in a zigzag pattern, with little sprinkles of parsley on top.

Eren didn't even know he had parsley. "This..." he breathed out in wonder.

"...It's an omurice," Levi answered, raising a brow. "Don't tell me you don't know what an omurice is?"

Eren shook his head. "I do! I make fantastic omurice! I'm just...surprised, that you'd cook this." Biting his lip to stop himself from drooling outright, Eren picked up his spoon. "Thank you for cooking, and thank you for checking up on me as well." He smiled somewhat shyly. "I wasn't expecting you to do, well... _any_ of this."

"Yes, since you know me so well," Levi replied dryly. Eren reddened with embarrassment. "Well, dig in. You've probably got one foot in the grave by now. You're too skinny for your height."

Nodding faintly, Eren dug in and took a bite. The sour-sweet flavors of the ketchup hit first, followed by the creaminess of the egg, finished up by the rich soy sauce in the rice as well as the softness of the chicken chunks. It was just an omurice, but to him, it tasted like pure heaven.

He shoveled in spoonful after spoonful, delighting in the flavors and the simple fact that it was food, and he hadn't actually eaten anything solid in _days_. "It's...so...good!" he complimented in between every bite.

Levi stared dully at his messy face and his bulging cheeks. "...Slow down, you disgusting brat," he chastised. "If you eat too fast, you'll hurl, and I _will_ make you clean it up."

Choking slightly from his words, Eren forced himself to swallow and grinned sheepishly. "S-Sorry." 

They finished the rest of their meal in relative silence. Well, if silence was the sound of Eren's loud chewing and Levi's small hums.

Wiping his mouth with a napkin, Eren bowed his head. "Thanks for the meal." He stood up and collected both their now empty dishes to the sink. "So, um. Can you answer now?"

Levi raised a brow, still sat in his chair. "Answer what?'

"Why you, er, broke into the landlord's office to check up on me. You and Zacharias-san seem like friends, but still, isn't this illegal?" Eren asked curiously while washing the dishes. 

"Nah, he gave me a spare key," Levi answered nonchalantly. He took out his phone and started browsing through his e-mails. "I already texted Mike while you were taking a long dump, and he's fine with it."

Eren stared at him, hands stilling under the water flow. "...O-kay, but...isn't that illegal on his part..?"

Levi glanced at him and lazily winked. "I won't tell if you don't."

_He actually winked._

Flushing red, Eren quickly looked back down at the sink. "W-Well, I guess I can't. You _did_ go out of your way to check up on me, and you even cooked for me. Um..." He looked up shyly but hopefully. "Is there anything you'd like in return? Anything I can do for you?"

"You can stop working yourself to death and actually take care of your body," the man replied bluntly while putting his phone away. "The fact that I had to break in at all speaks volumes about your self-care, or lack thereof in this case."

Eren frowned and turned off the water with more force than necessary. "Thank you for your concern, but I'm fine."

Levi raised a brow, unimpressed. "You sure didn't look fine when I found you unconscious in your room after two weeks of self-imposed isolation."

"That- I went a little far this time, but I'm _fine_ ," Eren stressed out, trying to make the man believe him with zero success. "Seriously, I've been working like this for four years and I haven't needed to go to the hospital!"

"Yet," Levi added dryly.

Scowling, Eren turned around with clenched fists. "Listen, I'm thankful you checked up on me, but don't butt into my business, okay? I don't ask you what you do in your life, so please give me the same respect. I need to work. If I don't..." 

If he didn't keep working, his manga would stagnate. His sales would go down due to his hiatus. He would disappoint the company. The fans. Himself. He wouldn't be able to afford this apartment any longer and would be forced to move back in with his parents, and there was no way he could face his dad and his stupid I-told-you-so attitude.

Most of all, he had to keep drawing out his dreams. He owed it to all the people he watched die for him. Whether they were actually real, or his mind really was just that psychologically messed up...

It _felt_ real, and that was all that mattered.

Levi frowned disapprovingly, but there was a glint of grudging respect behind his spectacles. "...At least try to slow down a little. Living alone means no one can reach you in time. What if you exhaust yourself to the point you slip into a coma? Then all the work you've done would be for nothing and you'd stink out the entire building."

Eren winced at the gritty image. "True, but..." He smiled shyly. "How can I worry when my neighbor would willingly break into the landlord's office to then break into my apartment? Seriously, no one else would've done that."

Taken aback, Levi frowned, but it wasn't as harsh as it was before. "Don't count on me doing it again. I shouldn't have had to do it in the first place if you were more aware of your own damn health. In fact-" He held out his hand. "Give me your phone."

Eren blinked. "My phone? Uh..." He patted himself down but found no such device on his person. "Hang on..." 

He walked-slash-jogged back to his bedroom and found it on his drawing desk, next to his latest chapter. He peered down at the papers which had stayed untouched since he had last drawn on them, and gave them a quick once-over before shelving them into a folder to be given to Nanaba at a later date. It was done and over with, and he was lucky that Levi hadn't looked through them.

He wondered if Levi even knew what manga was. He seemed like the kind of man who would hear the word and scoff.

Picking up his phone, Eren turned it on and paled. "Oh no..."

86 missed calls.

12 voicemails.

231 unread text messages.

He winced. Someone- no, _multiple_ people were going to kill him.

Deciding to skip the texts for now, he played through the voicemails.

" _Eren-kun, this is Nanaba. I assume since you've missed four of my calls, you're in the work zone? Please get back to me when you're free. It's nothing urgent, but we need your opinion on some of the smaller details._ "

" _Eren! I spoke with my dorm, and I can move out as soon as the end of this semester! Is that okay with you? Call me back when you're free, I have three finals to study for and-_ " 

" _Yoooo Eren! You're not dead, right? Please say you're not or I may have to come bust your door down! We still need to catch up in person and chat about your latest chapters. I read volume 5 while listening to my- er, No Name's songs, and you were totally right! They fit so well! Oh shit, the voicemail is ending- Call me back so I know you didn't die!-_ "

" _Eren, honey! It's mom. Have you settled in yet? You still haven't let me see your new apartment. Are you ashamed of something? Have you left your coffee cups all over like you have at home? I'm getting worried, you know. You really need to invite your dear old mom over for some coffee and sandwiches. Your father's as busy as ever, but I can always come over!_ "

" _Eren?..._ "

Eren turned as white as a sheet of paper and slowly closed his eyes in resignation. "Oh great..."

" _Eren? Why aren't you answering your phone? Call me when you get this message._ "

" _Eren. Why haven't you answered any of my texts?_ "

" _Eren. Please. I'm getting worried. Do I have to come check on you?_ "

" _Eren, I'm coming over tomorrow. Please be alive._ "

" _Your mother called me, asking if I knew how you were. I couldn't even answer her._ "

" _Eren. I'll be there in twenty minutes, I'm swiping into the station now._ "

" _I just got to your neighborhood, I'll be there in five minutes._ "

That last voicemail was recorded three minutes ago.

"...Fuck." Eren pulled at his hair and panicked. Oh no, what was he going to do?! She had blown up his phone like she always did, except now she was almost at his doorstep-

He froze.

Rushing out of his room, he tracked down Levi in his living room. The man had taken a seat on his sofa and was on his phone, brow furrowed in concentration. Eren briefly wondered what it was about, but he shook his head and ran up to him. "Hey," he greeted breathlessly. "I know this is really sudden, but-"

"Oh, hey. You got your phone," Levi interrupted, taking the phone out of his grip.

Eren gaped. "I- You-"

Tapping the screen a couple times, Levi handed it back to him. "There."

Blinking, Eren took it and looked down at the screen. His eyes widened.

Right there in his contacts was a new name, Levi Ackerman. It was even listed as an emergency contact.

"You..." Eren began, looking up from the screen and at the other man's face. Some sort of pressure swelled up in his chest, an almost light and warm feeling that even caused his eyes to mist over. 

Levi looked up at him with an almost unreadable expression, but through his slim glasses, there was a softness that Eren realized had always been there, at least since their little supermarket binge. This strange man who was his neighbor cared enough to list himself as an emergency contact in his phone. Without saying a word, he was telling Eren that he can count on him, to trust him.

The man's thin lips twitched into a barely noticeable smile.

Eren's heart skipped a beat.

The doorbell rang.

"Shit!" Eren snapped out of his daze and his entire body tensed up like a coiled spring. "Levi-san, thank you, um, for everything you've done today, but uh, can you-" The doorbell rang again, this time more insistently, and he began to sweat. "Can I ask you to jump over our shared balcony to go home?"

Levi glanced over in the direction of the front door. "I'm assuming this has to do with whoever's trying to break down your door?"

The doorbell echoed again, but she didn't lift her finger, and it rang incessantly inside the small apartment in one long flat note. Eren refused to admit he let out a whimper. "Yes! Please, if she sees you're here, she's going to do something drastic which may or may not actually land us in the hospital!"

Levi immediately frowned and stood up from the sofa. "Are you saying she's threatening you?"

Eren winced. "...Kind of?" He shook his head. "H-Honestly, I can handle her, so-"

A loud bang from the front door caused him to jump, and he slowly turned to stare. She had actually punched it so hard that a screw had flew off one of the hinges.

"...It's too late," he croaked out, and with a hung head, he slowly walked to the front door. "I'm coming!" He yelled out reluctantly.

Immediately, the pounding on the door and the doorbell simultaneously stopped.

With one last look at the man who did so much to take care of him, Eren gave him a grim smile before opening the door. "Hi, Mika-"

"Eren!" Mikasa flung herself at him and wrapped him up in a bone-crushing hug. He felt his breath immediately leave his body, and his spine audibly cracked in three places. "I'm so glad you're okay. When you didn't answer my texts, I knew you must've started work again, but when you didn't answer my calls, either, you really worried me!"

Eren weakly patted her back. "I...I'm fine..." he wheezed out. "I woke up today..."

With a sniffle, Mikasa finally loosened her grip and he almost fell to his knees. "I'm glad. Did Armin come to check up on you?" she asked while brushing his hair and caressing his face. "He did tell me he was going to come over sometime, but he never specified when."

"Oi."

Mikasa stilled at the unexpected and unwelcomed voice.

The tension immediately rose within the apartment.

Eren let out a whimper.

Mikasa's arms dropped to her sides, which let Eren go, and she stared up with dead eyes toward the unknown man in Eren's apartment. Levi stared back with equally-as-dead eyes, and his shirt had been recently unbuttoned at the top to show off his collarbones and the beginning of his firm chest.

"...Who are you." Mikasa's entire countenance had immediately switched from warm to cold, and despite the fact that she was in a white button up and long red skirt, as well as the red scarf Eren had gifted her, anyone with eyes could see she was ready to fight.

Levi didn't budge whatsoever. "I could ask you the same fucking question." 

"Um!" Eren interrupted frantically and stood up so quickly that his head felt a bit light. "Uh, Levi-san, this is Mikasa, my friend. Mikasa, this is my, er-" He reddened. "My neighbor, Levi-san."

Mikasa narrowed her eyes. "Levi?"

"Don't wear it out," Levi replied sardonically. "Mikasa, huh. You and Eren are... _friends_?"

" _Childhood_ friends," Eren stressed. "Along with Armin. We're basically family."

With a hum, Levi slowly nodded. Not giving the girl another glance, Levi slowly walked up to them in the doorway and replaced his slippers with his loafers. "I'll get going then. Call me later, _Eren,"_ he practically purred out, and passed by them out the door, but not before casually reaching out with a hand.

Eren jumped and _squeaked_ when he felt the slap on his ass, and his face reddened so much, he swore steam actually rose off his skin. "...B-B-Bye..." he weakly responded while Mikasa fumed silently next to him.

Okay, Armin was right.

He definitely had a crush.

And maybe it wasn't as one-sided as he thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a new [cover art](https://twitter.com/AristoMuse/status/1122990420227764224) that I drew for this fic!! I've updated it on chapter one as well
> 
> Can you tell i love ereri/rivaere/riren lmao


	8. Chapter 8

 

A moment of silence reigned over the apartment, until Mikasa broke it. "Who was that?!" she demanded, gripping Eren by his upper arms.

Eren was still shocked speechless, face red, and his eyes hadn't moved away from the door where Levi had just left.

The man had _purred_ out his name like a smooth car engine, low and sensual, then slapped his ass as if it was no big deal.

Except it was a _very huge fucking deal_ , what the fuck! Eren screamed in his head.

When the hell did Levi-san become so- so- so interested in him?! People didn't normally slap other people's asses like that, especially people like Levi; cool, composed, and mature. Neither did they say names like a tongue licking a lollipop. What the hell had prompted him to do this?

"Eren?!" Mikasa called out, face still dark with anger and disbelief.

Oh.

Had Levi-san felt... _wary_ , of Mikasa? It wouldn't be surprising since Mikasa was a scary person in general, especially if angered like now, but there was no way Levi-san could've known beforehand. 

"Eren, answer me already!" Mikasa violently shook him, making his head loll back and forth. "That man just sexually assaulted you and you're not even reacting!"

"Wh-What?! Sexual assault?!" Eren yelped, snapping out of his daze. "Calm down already! Levi-san would never do something like that!"

"He just slapped your posterior without your consent! That's a class D felony!" Mikasa suddenly calmed herself and smiled coolly. "If you'd like, we can sue. I receive my licence in a month, so-"

"No no no no!" Eren quickly cut her off and held up his arms in an X shape. "Don't you dare make this your first case, Mikasa! That's abuse of your power!"

"So long as I protect you, that's all that matters," she replied fiercely. "You only moved in a month ago, Eren. You can't say you know this man well enough that he couldn't be some strange pervert who's trying to seduce you before drugging you and-"

Eren groaned loudly and covered his ears. "Stooop! You're beyond paranoid." He let his arms fall with a huff. "Look, you're right about _one_ thing. I don't know Levi-san that well; I've only interacted with him a few times, but every single time, he has been an upstanding guy. A little crass language, but he's not some weirdo stalker, okay?"

Mikasa refused to back down. "But what if he could be?" she argued. "You wouldn't know. Maybe I should check in with the landlord of this building about how they conduct background checks on their potential renters."

The doorbell suddenly rang, prompting the both of them to turn toward the front door. Eren walked over- not heeding Mikasa's hiss of a warning about potential intruders- and checked through the eyehole. He glimpsed a round head of blond hair, accompanied with wide and inquisitive blue eyes. 

Taken aback, Eren opened the door. "Armin?"

"Hi, Eren!" His best friend cheerily responded. "I sent you a few texts letting you know I would be coming to survey the apartment." He paused and noticed his taller friend's shocked face. "...I'm not sure you read them, considering how surprised you look. Did you just wake up or something?"

"Or something..." Eren nervously laughed. He opened the door wider and gestured inside. "Uh, come in. Mikasa's here, too. This is like old times, huh?"

"Oh!" Armin brightened at the sight of his other childhood best friend. "Hi Mikasa! Long time no see!"

"Armin," Mikasa greeted with a warm smile, a huge contrast to her frothing rage a few seconds ago. "What are you doing here? Did you have plans with Eren as well?"

Armin looked amused. "Were your plans to wrangle him into bed?"

"You know me so well."

Eren rolled his eyes and slammed his door shut with a halfhearted frown. "Yeah yeah, I'm shit at taking care of myself, I get it," he muttered. "I swear, if it's not Levi-san, it's one of you."

Toeing off his shoes and plopping onto a couch, Armin's ears perked up. "Oh?" A wide teasing grin appeared on his face. "What's this I hear about Levi-san? Have you asked him out yet?"

"What?!" Mikasa balked at the very mention of the man. "Eren, you were planning on _dating_ that shorty?!"

Closing his eyes, Eren resisted the urge to slam his head into the wall. Just barely. "Yes, of course," he answered, sarcasm coloring his words. "I've wanted to date this man forever, despite the fact that I know nothing about him and he knows nothing about me." 

Or, well...Levi-san knew he didn't sleep during the night. He knew about his terrible work ethics. Plus, he'd almost seen him naked, which was still embarrassing to think about. Yet, Eren still didn't know anything about him. It felt a little unfair, now that he was thinking about it. 

"Did you meet him, Mikasa?" Armin asked curiously.

Mikasa sat down next to him and scowled. "Meet him? I watched him practically strip in front of Eren, and then he had the audacity to slap his posterior. That man is a menace."

"He didn't strip for me, he just unbuttoned his shirt a little at the top," Eren immediately corrected, and then when he realized what he said, he blushed and stuttered, "I-I mean, it's getting hotter now since spring is ending, and he was cooking, so..!"

"Oooh," Armin made an interested noise that was coupled with a cheshire grin on his face. "So not only was he showing off for you, he even cooked? When's the wedding?"

While Mikasa shrieked in rage at the joke of a question, Eren held his face in his hands and properly screamed. The sound was muffled by his palms but it made him feel better.

Damn it.

 

* * *

 

 

After Eren was finally able to kick them out, it was already almost 11PM. With a sigh, he cleaned up what little mess they had accumulated from takeout and gaming on the PS4, and separated the trash to be recycled at a later date.

Mikasa hadn't calmed down for a good while until Armin had confessed he was only joking, by throwing Eren under the bus for his own amusement. Then, she had turned to him and reigned down hell and fire on his ass for not "protecting himself against the strange man, why didn't you try to dodge away, has he done this before, is he some sort of yakuza that we need to take care of?"

Eren was _very_ lucky his walls were soundproof.

Armin had also checked out the spare bedroom and claimed it was the perfect size for him; not too big, not too cramped. He could fit his bed, his desk, and his research all inside his room without burdening the rest of the apartment. Eren then told him it was fine; this was their apartment now. It wasn't like he needed all the empty space that only had the basic amenities. Armin could decorate a little, maybe frame some of his important moments and putting them on the wall.

They talked and hung out for a while after that, ironing out all the details. Eren would have to inform his landlord, Mike, about the new addition in his household, but there shouldn't be any problems. Likewise, Armin would have to contact a moving company to help him transport all his furniture and belongings. 

With a huge sigh, Eren took a sketchpad he used on-the-go and exited out onto his balcony.

Every apartment from the second floor and up had a balcony; a small space that spanned from one side of the apartment to the other, which most people in Japan used for hanging laundry or for growing succulents. He hadn't done anything except the occasional laundry wash so far, but there was a lot of unused space here that he could take advantage of to really make it more personal. The only way to get to the balcony was through the master bedroom, so it really would be _his_ space.

Taking a seat on a stool he had left out here, Eren idly sketched, using the light shining through the balcony doors to illuminate the page. He didn't usually have time to just doodle whatever; usually he was too sick of art to do much more than draw the next chapter. 

The night was so peaceful, too. The moon hung brightly in the dark blues of the sky, accompanied by the occasional star that could outshine the city lights. The neighborhood he lived in was quiet; it was filled with well-paid people who wanted some peace from their jobs. 

It was almost quiet and serene enough that Eren could feel himself nodding off. He hadn't gotten much sleep, especially since it had been interrupted by nightmares, and now that he was alone and the food was settling in his body, he could feel the consequences of the last two weeks creeping up on him.

He rubbed his eyes in a futile attempt to keep himself awake, just a while longer. "Ugh..."

His head was beginning to hurt again from lack of sleep. His eyes were as dry as the desert, threatening to tear his thin eyelids with every blink. His ears were slightly ringing, and his balance- which he hid from Mikasa and Armin rather well- was terrible. Every time he stood up, his vision would swim for however long until his blood flow finally stabilized. His body ached in a way that it shouldn't; from sitting too long in one position rather than from working out his muscles.

Why was it that he put himself through such long and arduous days where he would do nothing but draw? Why did he forget to eat, to drink, to even go to the bathroom? Why did he ignore everything just to put pencil to paper?

His grip tightened around the mechanical pencil he was currently using.

Because he had to. Those people in his dreams were counting on him; the only way their stories would be told would be through him and his art. He had to dedicate himself to them, because if he didn't, then their suffering and sacrifices had meant nothing. 

Even though they only existed in his dreams, it all felt so real...

Eren jerked up in his seat, having realized that he had closed his eyes and had come dangerously close to falling asleep. "Keep it together, Eren..." he muttered to himself. 

Looking up at the moon, he let out a forlorn sigh. He shouldn't forget that he was alive, however, and the dreams could always wait another day. Levi-san had scolded him enough about taking care of himself. The least he could do was try to take more breaks.

Tearing his gaze away from the night sky, Eren let his eyes wander...

And suddenly met grey ones.

"Huh?!" With a heart stuttering jump, Eren almost fell off his chair. He stared, wide-eyed, with one hand clutching his racing heart. 

Levi raised a brow. "What?" he asked nonchalantly.

So...While the apartments all had their own balconies, they were connected to each other by sharing the same cement floor. The only thing separating them was a thin cement wall. The only way for someone to see their neighbor was if they were leaning over the railing.

Which was what Levi was doing.

Eren could only stare at him.

_What the actual fuck._

"Why are you leaning over into my balcony..?"

Levi shrugged. Actually shrugged. As if peeking into someone else's balcony was something he did regularly- which, considering the fact that he lived at the end of the hall and so his only neighbor was Eren, said something. "I've never seen you draw before."

"Draw-" Eren squeaked out. "So, you just watched me without...saying anything?"

"You looked tired so I didn't want to bother you," Levi answered rather seriously.

Eren paused, and he slowly relaxed back into his chair. That was...kind, albeit in a strange way. Yet again, the man was being considerate of him. It should creep him out...

After a moment, Eren dragged his chair closer to where their balconies were connected. Despite the fact that they had a wall between them, it wasn't hard for Eren to lean a little forward. "I am tired, yeah," he confessed. "I think all the lack of rest is catching up with me."

Levi softly snorted. "As it should. I have no idea how you've survived up until now."

"Hey," Eren weakly protested. "I've been just fine. I've had people check up on me and stuff."

Levi's entire demeanor suddenly tensed- not by much, but enough that he clearly wasn't as relaxed as he was before. "Right. Your little girlfriend," he clipped. "Mikelle, right?"

Eren rolled his eyes. "She's not my girlfriend, and her name is Mikasa. Her as my girlfriend would be as gross as a brother dating his sister. Besides, she's pretty annoying as is. Can't imagine how much worse she would get if we were-" He pulled a disgusted face. " _Dating_."

The other man minutely relaxed: His shoulders sloped downward, and the wrinkle between his strong brow faded into smooth alabaster skin. "Right, got it. You said sister, but you guys don't look alike at all."

"We're not related," Eren replied casually. Was it strange to talk so much to a man who, just moments ago, was watching him without his knowledge? Maybe. Then again...he _wanted_ Levi-san to know more about him, just like he wanted to know more about Levi-san. "Her parents are friends with mine, and we played together a lot as kids before they moved to Kyoto. She's back to complete her law degree here."

Raising a brow, Levi whistled lowly. "A law degree? Ambitious."

Eren nodded, idly hugging his sketchbook to his chest. "And while she's doing that, Armin's off completing his archaeology and European History degree all in one go. In fact, his European History required both Ancient and Modern history, so really, he's been _triple_ majoring." He grinned proudly. "If you think I'm bad, wait til you see Armin when he's in his work mode. It's almost scary how intelligent he is."

Looking over at the older man for a moment, still grinning, Eren felt his breath get caught in his throat. Not only was Levi leaning over the balcony, but there was a focus in his eyes that he hadn't expected. The sheer _attentiveness_ that could be gleaned from his face showed he was really listening to him ramble on about his two friends. Two friends that the other man didn't know, all because it was Eren telling him.

No one had ever been so... _interested_ in him before. 

Blinking rapidly, Eren looked away. What was this man doing to him? 

"It's cute that you're so close with your two friends," Levi remarked softly. "Much better than your weird shit with that horse guy below you."

Eren covered his mouth, otherwise he'd laugh out loud. "Horse- You mean Jean?" A few snickers left him. "Unfortunately, I went to high school with him. He was always a lot nicer to Armin than me. Then again, I was asleep for most of high school, so he always called me out on being 'weird.'"

"High school, huh? And when was that, last year?" Levi nudged with a teasing smirk. The smirk lifted his eyes, shaping them like silver crescents akin to the moon above them.

Eren refused to swoon. "That was four years ago." He pouted. "Either way, joke's on him; Jean is my subordinate at work now." 

The older man let out a breathy laugh. "Despite the way you talk shit about him, I can see you don't actually hate him or anything. It's good to have friends like that."

"H-How about you?" Eren asked almost timidly. His heart was pounding, and his head felt so light. All this attention from the handsome man was doing things to him. Was this how a crush felt like? Maybe he should feel bad about making fun of Jean for liking Mikasa back in the day.

"Me?" Levi raised a brow. His gaze slid away and he stared straight ahead, taking in the sight of other apartments and business buildings that dotted their view. "I have a few friends. Just three, really." He smiled slightly. "I owe a lot to them. If it weren't for them, I probably wouldn't be here."

Eren gazed at the other man, noticing just how...soft he was in the moonlight, and how gentle his expression was talking about his friends. He quashed whatever little jealousy that tried to ignite itself in his gut. "What do you mean by that..?" 

Silver eyes slid back to him. "If I told you, I'd have to kill you," Levi stated without a single trace of emotion.

Eren let out a laugh, making sure to be quiet since they were outside and it was late. "Ha, that's pretty good!..." He paused when he noticed the other man's expression was still stone cold, and he could feel dread pooling in his gut. "You're...not serious, right?" he asked apprehensively. Sweat had even gathered at his hairline.

All of a sudden, Levi snorted. "Nah, just shittin' you."

Eren let out a slow sigh of relief and held a hand to his rapidly thumping heart. "Whew, okay..."

"You fell for that? You really aren't yakuza," Levi smirked, and leaned against the railing with his back rather than his front. "I was just a dumb kid doing dumb shit. I would've continued doing dumb shit that would eventually get me killed, if it weren't for Erwin."

Erwin? That was a man's name. Eren subtly clenched his fists. "Erwin?" he asked.

"My best friend," Levi answered quietly. He tilted his head to look up at the sky. "If it weren't for him basically blackmailing me, I...probably wouldn't be here right now."

Eren furrowed his brow. He wouldn't be here right now? What did that mean exactly? He wouldn't be here in this apartment, or... He hugged his sketchbook closer. Did he mean he wouldn't be... _alive_ right now? It didn't seem like the other man would share any more information about it, but...

He knew, right at this moment, that if Levi wasn't his strange neighbor who watched him without him knowing, who broke and entered his apartment without permission, who made sure he would survive another day, who cooked and cared and told him all these things...He wouldn't be as happy.

So...

"I'm glad that Erwin did do that then," Eren quietly confessed, his cheeks warm with embarrassment at his words.

Levi turned to look at him, surprised, but as he seemed to do more often as of late, he gave the younger man a soft smile. "Same."

Reaching over their shared balcony space with only a wall to separate them, he slowly and hesitantly placed his hand on Eren's cheek.

Eren couldn't breathe. 

The hand was small, but well calloused, and it was cool to the touch, or maybe that was because his face was currently as hot as lava. He was close enough that Eren could pick out the subtle scent of the detergent he used on his long grey shirt.

His slim fingers gently caressed the skin of his cheek, and Eren didn't dare to move. Didn't dare to breathe. Didn't want him to stop. 

He wanted this moment to last forever.

But unfortunately, forever didn't exist, and Levi leaned back and took his hand away as well. "You're probably tired," he noted quietly.

"Y-Yeah..." Eren breathed out shallowly. He felt like he couldn't breathe after such an...intimate moment. Very very intimate moment. "But I'm not going to sleep. I have nightmares during the night, s-so I only sleep during the day."

Levi raised a brow. "Is that so...What kind of nightmares are they?"

Eren hunched in on himself. "They're- uh- usually pretty...bloody." He winced. Should be he telling this? It could ruin any chance he had in becoming closer to him, but...these nightmares were a part of him. "I see a lot of people...die. Usually by these giant monsters." 

Levi stared at him for so long that Eren was afraid he had actually broken the man.

After a full minute, the older man opened his mouth. "Strange...I get those kinds of nightmares as well."

Eren looked up at him in surprise. "Y-You do?"

"Occasionally, yeah. Scares the shit out of me since they're random," Levi grumbled. "All I see are people screaming as they fight until they get eaten by these naked ass giants. I'm making it sound a lot nicer than it seems, trust me on that one."

Eren tensed in his chair. "Th-That...sounds a lot like Shingeki." He laughed nervously. Weird. Did Levi-san have the same nightmares as him?

"You know Shingeki?"

What.

Eren turned to look at the older man in disbelief. "Wait, you do too?"

"It's the only manga I'll ever bother touching," Levi replied nonchalantly, though there was a gleam of interest in his eyes. "I always thought anime and manga were for no-life otakus and shit stains like them."

Eren tried to laugh, trying very hard not to think of the various manga and anime he had on his bookshelf that he had collected over the years. "I-I mean...some are good."

"But they're not Shingeki," Levi retorted. "There's just something about that manga that hits too close to home. I don't know what." He let out a rough sigh and shook his head. "In any case, you're not sleeping anytime soon?"

Eren mutely shook his head.

Levi looked pleased. "Good. Hang out with me then."

Without warning, Eren's heart began to beat furiously in his chest. Could he mean-

"I can watch you in case you decide to croak."

Eren almost fell off his chair, his expectations dashed, and his hopes shattered.

"R-Right."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [ Eren's apartment ](https://twitter.com/AristoMuse/status/1138233754806362115)
> 
> Levi pls, Eren's poor heart can only handle so much
> 
> Also slipped in a small morally unethical easter egg huhuhu did you spot it?
> 
> Thanks for reading, comments are loved and appreciated!

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think! Comments are appreciated <3


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